(Port Sanilac) – The Sanilac East Fire Authority, pending approval from the Village of Port Sanilac next week, appears to becoming reality with a proposed start date of July 1st. An adhoc committee comprised of representatives from Port Sanilac, and the townships of Sanilac and Forester, has been working the past several months to iron out details. Mach said the communities wondered how the change would effect them, but in recent weeks, he has noticed a confidence level change where everyone believes in each other and everyone has a common interest in this process. He said the plan is for each entity to prepare documents and conduct public hearings, prior to sending the application to the state in early June.
Don Morath, who has been an advisor for the committee and leading them through the Authority process said he is pleased with the progress and it appears the efforts of the committee is going to pay off. Funding has been a hot topic for all three involved entities, but Morath believes what they have settled on – a percentage split, is fair for everyone. Morath said the Articles of Incorporation, which the Authority will operate under, allows for other neighboring entities or fire departments to join the Authority in the future.
With the progress made Monday evening, the three entities will report back to their boards, prepare documents for public hearings and take action to form the Authority within the next 90 days.
The Sanilac East Fire Authority budget for the first year was agreed upon, set at around $113,000.
