Fire board goes back to voters seeking millage for new hall

While the presidential election will be garnering much of the attention come November, of added interest in Posen will be a millage request to purchase a new fire hall. It will be the second millage request since 2002, as Posen Area Fire and Rescue continues its search for a building with more space for fire trucks and emergency equipment. This ballot initiative will be different than the one from 14 months ago. That request was for the construction of a new building. This one will be for purchasing an existing structure.

POSEN BUSINESSMAN Gary Wozniak, who also serves on the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners, has made an offer to sell the building that houses his auto repair shop, Quality Repair. The Posen Area Fire and Rescue board, which meets the first Wednesday of every month, has approved the placing of the issue on the ballot for the November 2 election, although wording still needs to be finalized. The purchase offer of Quality Repair isn?t available yet, according to fire board chairman Jim Zakshesky.

?We don?t really know how much yet, or for how many years, it depends on the price,? he said. Zakshesky said the Quality Repair building would meet the needs of the Posen Fire Department. ?It?s a very nice building. Basically we are out of room, or are very limited,? Zakshesky said. ?Also, the fire board doesn?t own that building, the village of Posen does, and they have other plans for it.? The village charges $370 a month for rent to the Posen fire board. The current bu

ilding, which was constructed in 1959, is 28 by 60 feet.

WHILE THE fire board can get all of the fire fighting vehicles in the building, ?you can barely walk around in there,? said Zakshesky. The proposal to construct a new fire hall in 2002 was defeated after two precincts voted the plan down. The request was for one mill for four years, but all four precincts had to give their approval for the project to move forward. Voting the issue down were Krakow Township by 24 votes and Pulawski Township, where it was defeated by 23 votes. Metz and Posen Townships approved the measure by a combined margin of 50 votes.

Zakshesky said the fire hall issue will be put on hold for a couple of months as figures and ballot language are completed and looked over by an attorney, but information will be put together so voters can make an informed choice come November.

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