Territory annexed for new Highland-Pierron fire station
The site of a new proposed Highland-Pierron Fire Department (HPFD) station will be within the Highland city limits.
The Highland City Council on Monday approved annexing 5.8 acres southeast of the intersection of St. Rose and Iberg roads into the corporate limits. The ground is owned by the the Highland-Pierron Fire Protection District, which plans to build a station there. The council also approved an annexation agreement with the district to bring water and sewer service to the new station without charging any tap-on fees.
HPFD Chief Steve Plocher said the department purchased the property a couple of years ago, and the annexation is the next step toward construction, though that could still be a couple of years away.
“We’re getting closer,” he said.
HPFD currently has two stations, one located at 187 Woodcrest Drive in Highland and the other at 241 Illinois Route 143 in Pierron.
The location at Iberg and St. Rose roads has several benefits, Plocher said.
“We’ve outgrown or station there on Woodcrest Drive, and with the peripheral route being put in there, that puts us in a perfect location to get around the city of Highland,” he said.
HPFD was organized in 1950 to serve the rural areas of Highland and currently serves a 72-square-miles territory. Membership is made up of 40 volunteers living in the Highland and Pierron areas.
The Highland Fire Department, which is a branch of city government, is responsible for fire protection within the municipal limits of Highland.
Plocher said the new fire station will bring all parts of the district within a five-mile radius of a station, which will mean better fire insurance rates for some people who currently do not meet that standard.
“We will be able to pick up all those people and won’t lose anybody on the other side,” Plocher said.
When the new station is built, Plocher said the Woodcrest station will no longer be needed and will likely be sold.
“We won’t use it as a firehouse, so we will see who wants it,” he said.
Other Council Action
Track loader purchased
After some discussion, the council voted to waive normal bidding procedures and purchase a 2016 Caterpillar 259D skid-steer loader for the Streets & Alleys Department.
The Streets & Alleys Department already has a 2002 Caterpillar skid-steer, as well as many attachments for it, including an auger, concrete breaker, pallet forks and a dirt pulverizer. The current loader, which the department intends to keep, has tires. The new one is larger, and it will have tracks, which do less damage to yards and make the machine harder to get stuck. However, the new machine will be able to use the attachments the city already has.
The council did vote 3-0 to purchase the loader (councilman Aaron Schwarz was absent), but not before several council members and Mayor Joe Michaelis expressed apprehension about no-bid purchases.
“Waiving normal and customary bidding procedures make me a little nervous,” Michaelis said. “Not this particular item.”
“I agree on things that do not have such strict requirements,” said Councilwoman Peg Bellm.
Public Works Director Joe Gillespie said the Streets & Alleys workers did field testing of various manufacturers before deciding on the Caterpillar. Since the bid was specific to a Cat, and the company’s dealers have specific geographic areas, going out for competitive bids unnecessary, City Manager Mark Latham said, because only one dealer could have submitted a proposal.
Councilman Rick Frey said he could agree to the manufacturer-specific bid, because the city could use attachments it already had for its other Caterpillar loader. “I’m comfortable this one is OK,” he said.
The loader will be purchased from Fabick Caterpillar in Fenton, Mo., for $62,048.44.
Old weather sirens to be sold
The council voted to declare seven city-owned weather sirens as surplus property so that they might be sold. The sirens are no longer in use and have already been replaced. If the sirens cannot be sold outright, they will be sold for scrap.
The council also declared office equipment from the Light & Power Department, several computers, printers, a fax machine and other miscellaneous equipment, as surplus. The equipment will be turned over to an electronics recycler.
Grant application approved
The council OKed seeking a Sustainability Grant from Madison County for the purpose of installing rip-rap to the remaining shoreline of Old City Lake Reservoir as erosion control.
Approximately ¾ of the 20-acre city reservoir shoreline is currently protected with filter fabric and rip rap, which has greatly reduced the silt and sediment load into the reservoir and into the main body of the lake.
The city of Highland partnered with the Madison County Sustainability Program last year to protect more than 1,800 lineal feet of shoreline and waterways throughout Silver Lake Park.
This year, the city is looking to do approximately 2,000 lineal feet of shoreline, which would mean almost the entire reservoir could be protected by rip rap. The project has an estimated cost of $18,000. The city is asking the county to chip in $13,300. The grant requires the city to match at least 20 percent.
Bids sought for road materials
The council approved a notice of municipal letting for 2016 motor fuel tax (MFT) maintenance materials. Such materials typically include rock, oil and aggregate. The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved $305,000 in MFT money for the city this year.
This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Territory annexed for new Highland-Pierron fire station."