County Fire MOU Discussions Turn to Land Ownership Issues

The Carroll County Rural Fire Committee voted to pursue purchasing two properties that currently house volunteer fire stations at their July 29 meeting.

Carroll County Fire Chief Jonathan Gaskins gave the committee a recap of the department's efforts to formalize Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with every fire department and municipality in the county.

RURAL FIRE COMMITTEE MEETS – Members of the Carroll County Rural Fire Committee listen as Fire Chief Jonathan Gaskins updates them on fire station MOUs during the July 29 meeting. Photo by Jesse Joseph

“We have obtained every MOU except for Bruceton, which is in the works,” he said.

However, Cedar Grove and Macedonia stations posed a challenge, since the properties are privately owned.

Cedar Grove and Macedonia Stations

Gaskins explained that the owner of the Cedar Grove property, Chris Smith, no longer lives near, or owns property adjacent to, the station.

“He said he’d rather sell that one-acre lot to the county so it can be done on all ends,” said Gaskins. “He hinted at selling it for whatever the going rate is for an acre of land in that area.”

The Macedonia station is a more complicated case.

A large portion of that building sits on land owned by Robin Popplewell, whose family has owned the property for decades.

Gaskins said that initial conversations leaned toward a lease agreement, but Popplewell later requested around $1,800 annually. That is roughly the same amount he pays in taxes on the full 92-acre parcel.

“I told him that probably wasn’t going to be an option,” Gaskins said. “He also said the county could buy the section we need, and gave a vague idea on the price, but said whatever market value is would be a good starting point.”

County Mayor Joseph Butler acknowledged the situation.

“They’re sort of unique in that individuals own the land rather than a town or a community group,” Butler said. He added that both landowners “just want a fair price and to be done with it.”

Committee Chair Lana Suite questioned the timing.

“Why now?” she asked. “They’ve been happy for it to sit there for no income for themselves.”

FIRE COVERAGE – Carroll County Fire Chief Jonathan Gaskins points to a coverage map showing five-mile response zones for county stations. Photo by Jesse Joseph

Gaskins responded that confusion and miscommunication dating back over a decade may have contributed to the delay.

“From my understanding, that land was supposed to have been deeded off and taken care of 10 to 15 years ago,” he said.

Option to Close Macedonia Station

Chief Gaskins told the committee he had made it clear to Popplewell that if an agreement couldn’t be reached, the county may be forced to shut down the Macedonia fire station while it searches for another location in the area.

He presented a coverage map showing the five-mile response radius of each Carroll County Fire Department station, including the overlapping coverage areas from nearby McKenzie, Mixie, and Vale stations.

While those departments could help cover the Macedonia area in the interim, Gaskins said that closing the station would still have consequences.

“ISO looks at your coverage areas by driving distance, not bird-fly distance,” he said. “If that station were to close, it could bump parts of that area from an ISO rating of 6 to a 9 or 10.”

A higher ISO rating an area has, means that homeowner's insurance rates will be higher.

He added that Macedonia does have a role to play in countywide fire protection, but if the county is going to invest significant funds into a new or relocated station, it might make more sense to prioritize underserved areas.

He pointed at the map again around the southern portion of Lake Halford.

“After looking over the maps, my biggest concern right now regarding building fire stations would be around the Halford Lake area,” Gaskins said. “We have no fire protection there. No fire department within a five-mile radius.”

Solution

Commissioner Darrell Ridgely spoke from the audience and suggested a solution.

“I think, for the sake of public opinion and the least amount of controversy, we should offer them $10,000 [for Macedonia] and $15,000 [for Cedar Grove]," he said. "That’s a quick, easy solution that doesn’t disrupt everybody’s life.”

PROPOSING A SOLUTION – Darrell Ridgely (center) speaks from the audience, suggesting the county offer $10,000 and $15,000 for the Macedonia and Cedar Grove fire station properties, respectively, to avoid disruption and potential closures. Photo by Jesse Joseph

The committee agreed and voted unanimously to authorize offers of $10,000 for the Macedonia property and $15,000 for Cedar Grove.

“Even if we were to spend $10,000 on Macedonia and $15,000 on Cedar Grove, that’s still going to be significantly cheaper than building new stations from scratch,” Gaskins noted.

Other Business

The committee also discussed ongoing projects, including new fire trucks and the potential award of a $250,000 Three-Star grant for TACN radios and tech equipment.

“We got through the first round of review,” said Suite. “They noted our application was very strong.”

Gaskins added that 26 new sets of turnout gear purchased through a state grant had begun arriving and should be fully delivered within weeks.

Before the meeting adjourned, Gaskins told the committee that he would communicate the offers to the property owners and await their responses.

County Fire MOU Discussions Turn to Land Ownership Issues

Carroll County Sheriff's Reports

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County Fire MOU Discussions Turn to Land Ownership Issues

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Carroll County Sheriff's Reports

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