NORWICH – North Norwich decision-makers are making inroads toward reforming their fire district by taking over a portion of territory currently under contract with the City of Norwich Fire Department.
On Sept. 20, during an unofficial meeting with City of Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano at the firehouse, Supervisor Robert Wansor and three representatives from the North Norwich Volunteer Fire Department discussed the town’s fire contract with the city and the provision of services. The city fire department currently provides coverage for the southern half of the town at an annual cost of about $117,000. While no official business transpired during the gathering, Wansor said North Norwich fire commissioners are “looking to take back” about two-thirds of the contract’s coverage area.
The specific geographic region under discussion is “fairly substantial,” the first term supervisor said, but specific boundaries have not yet been defined. “They (the commissioners) believe they can safely cover that amount in the contract. If they feel that they can properly care for it, then I’m willing to help them,” he said.
Wansor anticipates that fire protection would be less expensive delivered through the North Norwich Volunteer Fire Department, and said his job is “to save money for the residents of North Norwich, to reduce their taxes whenever I can.”
Mayor Maiurano said the group met to hash out ways to maintain efficient fire and ambulance services for everyone under contract with the city while keeping within the state’s limited 2 percent property tax increase. All municipal governments are under pressure to cut back on costs, he said, and the city would “handle whatever they (North Norwich) decides to do.”
On the other hand, the mayor described the city’s bill for services as “reasonable.” He also questioned whether North Norwich’s fire department could respond to emergencies within the region in a reasonable time frame, and called the plan “a move in the wrong direction” and “a Band-Aid fix.”
“We could make a fire district (for North Norwich, the city and the Town of Norwich),” Maiurano said, adding “I’m not against taking a look at that.” But he said, “I think there’s more to it ... our ambulance, we are taking care of a vast, vast area. There are three things going on: fire, ambulance and inspections. ... I’m still looking at the whole county and how we do business. You really have to take a look at the whole future of the area and how you’re going to provide the services at the least possible cost.”
For the past 40 years, discussions have transpired between North Norwich, the City of Norwich and the Town of Norwich about forming an all encompassing fire district. Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law, who actually initiated the meeting and invited all of the participants, said the town’s office contained two entire notebooks on the subject, dating back to 1934.
“It’s the best way to know better how to separate costs,” Law said. “It just hasn’t worked because people like to have their own fire departments rather than form a district.”
The entire Town of Norwich relies solely on the City of Norwich for fire protection, at a fee approaching $600,000 per year. Law said he and members of the town board have been under pressure from taxpayers to cut back on the expense.
In addition to North Norwich representatives and the mayor, City Finance Director William Roberts and Norwich Councilmen Charles W. Brooks and Milton Shepler attended the unannounced meeting. Law said Councilman Shepler came unexpectedly, and despite having a potential quorum for town business, none was intended and none transpired.
“We were there for information and to see what they (North Norwich) were up to,” he said. “Guilford is looking at the same thing, (reforming their own district), but George (Seneck) couldn’t come.” Law said he also invited two city firefighters, but neither attended.
Similar redistricting discussions have resumed of late in the Town of Guilford. Supervisor Seneck said Guilford taxpayers, since 1990, have looked at having their own fire department take over fire protection as a cost savings measure. Guilford pays nearly $5,200 a year to the City of Norwich Fire Department for coverage of a handful of homes on Aldridge Road. The town’s residences and businesses are also protected by the volunteer Guilford Fire Department and the not-for-profit Borden Hose Fire Company of Mt. Upton.
In order to make any emergency and fire coverage changes, Seneck said the residents of Guilford would have to be petitioned, approve the petition, and then petition the Guilford Fire Department as well as the City of Norwich.
“I’m not the expert on this, but it could be a matter of response time that could determine homeowner’s insurance policies and whether or not they want to go ahead and do it. But it’s my understanding that the city would have to approve the redistricting,” he said.