Medina hires grantwriter to seek money for fire department
Village getting new ladder truck, putting addition on fire hall
MEDINA – The Medina Village Board agreed to hire a grantwriter on Monday evening who will be focused on seeking funds for the Medina Fire Department, which is looking to acquire a new ladder truck, replace another fire truck from 1990, and put an addition on the fire hall.
The board agreed to pay $7,990 to G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing to write up to five grant applications for the fire department. G&G is owned by Jay Grasso. The company has been successful securing grants for the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, said Jason Watts, a past Shelby fire chief and Medina’s current superintendent of Public Works.
Medina is facing several million dollars in expenses for a fire hall addition and for a new ladder truck.
The board on Aug. 14 authorized seeking a bond for up to $5.6 million to finance the fire hall addition.
The board also voted on June 26 to spend $1.7 million to buy a new ladder truck from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc., with a delivery time expected to take 2 ½ years. The new truck doesn’t fit in the cramped fire hall on Park Avenue.
Another fire truck from 1990 also should be on schedule for a replacement in the near future, said Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
Village Board members approved the grant writer expense, although there is no certainty it will yield any grants.
“You have to spend money to get money,” said Trustee Marguerite Sherman.
Mayor Mike Sidari last week gave a tour of the fire hall to Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. She sits on a committee that reviews applications for federal funding to assist fire departments. Sidari showed her the shortcomings of the building and asked her to consider Medina for assistance.
The village has tried to put together grant applications with its own staff in the past – with mixed results.
Seeking grants from different sources could pay off in a big way for the village, with Medina not needing to borrow as much money for the addition and fire truck.
“We need to show a good faith effort that we’re trying to help ourselves,” Sherman said.
