EAST SPENCER — The East Spencer Board of Aldermen unanimously voted Monday night to bring the fire department back under the umbrella of the town as a volunteer department.
In addition, the town continues to take applications for members of a new fire department.
“So far, we have received quite a few,” said Alderman Chris Sharpe, head of the board’s administrative committee.
The moves taken Monday night should bring the town closer to providing fire coverage again for residents and business owners. Miller Ferry Volunteer Fire Department has been covering the town with the mutual aid support of Union, Salisbury and Spencer.
Most of the firemen with the East Spencer department that went inactive Oct. 5 have applied with the town. Former fire chief Jackie Stinson said he met with aldermen in closed session Monday night and expected to continue as chief when the department is back in service.
“Everything worked out pretty good,” Stinson said. “... I think everything will be fine.”
In recent weeks, firemen and town officials have gone back and forth over the future status of the department. At one point, they decided that the volunteer department should establish itself separately from the town, with a new charter, and work on a contract basis for the town.
The decision made Monday night returns the department to its former status. Mayor Kenneth Fox said providing fire service is part of the town’s charter. Volunteers with the department will be covered by the town’s workers’ compensation insurance, he said.
Last week, firemen submitted a contract proposal for $42,000 to provide fire service for the town, assuming then that they would operate under their own charter. Sharpe said the proposal would have elevated the fire department’s total budget (from the town) to $68,000.
The town allocated $35,550 to the department for the 2000-2001 fiscal year (starting in July), and that budget will stay in place.
Sharpe reported at the board’s meeting Monday that the town will continue to receive applications through Friday. Fox said later that about 13 applicants have signed up since last Wednesday. The town needs a minimum of 18.
Stinson said Monday night that applicants for the new department will be screened by himself and aldermen John Noble and Sharpe.
Both Stinson and Fox said the town will seek County Fire Marshal Arthur Delaney’s help in obtaining a rating from the state insurance office as soon as possible.
Stinson said he thought the town could have a fire department providing coverage for the town as early as Wednesday, but aldermen gave no target date for when the department would be up and running again.
Stinson expressed his thanks to all the surrounding fire departments, Rowan County Emergency Medical Service and the state fire marshal’s office for providing help for the town during this period. One of the first orders of business for the new department will be buying a used truck.
An audit by the fire marshal’s office, looking into the status of department air packs, led to questions about the department’s status. If the department were to operate separately from the town, it would require its own charter and insurance.
The secretary of state’s office had no charter on file. In addition, firemen were concerned about their insurance coverage. Once they had assurances that the town could be temporarily covered by surrounding departments, the East Spencer firemen went on an inactive status until the questions could be resolved.
In other action Monday night, aldermen said they would begin fining Teri’s Social Club $50 a day if it remains open in defiance of their action Oct. 9 to close the club. The board revoked Teri’s business license on grounds that it was illegally operating an adult establishment.
Melissa Church, owner of Teri’s, has disagreed with the board’s findings. She said earlier that she has remained open because she has not received official notice from the town and no court papers have been filed.
Fox said Monday night the town has received a receipt from the post office showing that notice of the town’s action was delivered.
On advice of its attorney, Eric Ellison, the board said it would begin levying the fine Wednesday.
In another matter, aldermen approved setting up a Working Capital Management Account with Merrill Lynch. The company will provide financial management service for most of the town’s accounts.
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