With big turnout expected, Medina Village Board moves Monday’s meeting to school auditorium

Union for firefighters says board inaction puts public safety at risk

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina ladder truck from 1996 is shown in March 2023 when the fire department had an open house showing the tight quarters at the fire hall, especially for the ladder truck which only had 2 inches of clearance in pulling in and out of the fire hall. This truck has been out of service since June due to mechanical problems. Medina has new fire truck but it doesn’t fit in the existing fire hall. The board has discussed a one-bay addition to the fire hall but hasn’t moved forward with that project.

MEDINA – The Village Board is moving Monday’s meeting site from the Shelby Town Hall to the Medina High School auditorium due to a large crowd expected.

The union representing Medina’s career firefighters has been urging the public to attend the meeting and share their concerns about public safety as some of the board members favor not putting a new ladder truck into service and selling it.

Trustees Deb Padoleski and Mark Prawel said during the Jan. 12 meeting they favor selling the truck.

They think the cost of the truck, plus for an addition to house it, is too much for village taxpayers.

Trustee Scott Bieliski also said he wants to hold off on putting the new truck into service to maximize its value in case it’s sold. He wants to reach out to a broker to see what another municipality would pay for the truck, and if a smaller used ladder truck is available that would fit in the existing fire hall.

The new ladder truck doesn’t fit in the current fire hall. The board has discussed a one-bay addition that is expected to be in the $1.1 to $1.4 million range. Bieliski said that price seems too high for only a one-bay addition.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Trustee Jess Marciano both said they support buying the new ladder truck for $1.7 million and moving forward with the addition (while pursuing grants to help offset the costs for the addition).

Medina Fire Chief Steve Cooley is expected to present the results of a report from 2020 looking at the ISO ratings for the community and how they would be impacted without a ladder truck – and the potential for higher insurance rates in the village.

“Important decisions affecting public safety in our community are being discussed,” the firefighters union stated on their Facebook page. “This is your opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and make your voices heard. We will be there before and after the meeting to talk with you and answer your questions. Come get facts and data, not rumor and rhetoric.”

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the high school.