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Delavan-Darien area to study sharing emergency services

DARIEN TOWNSHIP — Town of Darien officials will keep the ball rolling on a study of shared emergency services, even though the Delavan Town Board voted not to participate.

The study would address the feasibility of shared emergency services in the Delavan-Darien area. Three municipalities voted to participate: the town of Darien, the village of Darien and the city of Delavan.

All three agreed to chip in to cover the cost of the $33,600 study.

Last Tuesday, the Delavan Town Board voted against participating, Chairman Dorothy Burwell said.

The study will move forward without the town of Delavan, Darien Town Board Chairman Cecil Logterman said.

In late May, when town of Delavan officials decided they needed more time to vote on the matter, members of an ad hoc study committee agreed the town of Darien should be the lead municipality on the project.

Since then, board members from the town and village of Darien have said they would be willing to spend more money on the study.

Logterman and the town attorney likely will meet within a month with consultants from McGrath and Associates. The town will pay for the study and get reimbursed by the village of Darien and the city of Delavan, Logterman said.

The study is not intended to change any ongoing plans for new fire stations in the communities, Logterman said.

But if the communities ever want to work together to build a shared station or find other ways to share emergency services, the data will be there for all to use, Logterman said.

The city of Delavan has a task force that's been talking about the city's own fire station problems.

In January, the city council saw conceptual plans for a station near the current one at 220 S. Seventh St., Delavan.

The city has needed a new station since Neil Flood took over as chief in 1983, he said. The current station is housed in a former car dealership that was built in 1948, Flood said. The building is small, poorly ventilated and has inadequate parking, among other things, he said.

The city has plans for borrowing money in 2010 for construction, Flood said.

The Darien station last was studied in 2006, Logterman said. The station serves the village and Darien Township.

The 2006 study indicates a new station is needed, but the location still is under discussion, he said.