• Following the county commissioner's decision at the hearing on the Bath Fire Department on Tuesday, the Groton Fire District board members held a stated special meeting to discuss the outcome and next year's budget.
• The first order of business was to discuss the tax levy for the district. The request for tax money needs to be sent by the 1^st of October. Kari Bartling, attorney for the district, was finally able to get the proper figures from the Brown County auditor's office. After going over the figures, it was agreed to apply for the maximum amount the district could receive.
• Since the property values in Brown County has gone up, the district will be able to get more funding, while at the same time lower the tax levy. Last year tax payers paid $61.50 per $100,000 of property value on a levy of .615. This next year, if Groton's application is accepted, property owners will pay $57.70 per $100,000 of property value on a levy of .577.
• The new budget will be worked out at the next regular meeting of the fire board, on October 15. By that time a through list of the needs of the Bath Fire Station can be complied.
• Assessing the needs of the Bath Fire Station will be a top priority for Fire Chief Dion Bahr. David Beckler, a member of the Bath Firemen, was in attendance at the meeting. He stated that none of the current Bath Firemen had pagers. They relied on phone calls to be called to a fire.
• Bahr was given the authority to purchase 12 new pagers that fit his specifications; nine of them would be issued to the Bath Firemen. Another concern was access to the fire hall. Currently, firemen use a key to enter the building; there are a large number of keys in circulation to both current and past firemen.
• An agreement also needs to be finalized with the Bath Township Board over the lease of the fire hall. The Bath Township will retain ownership of the building and will be responsible for its upkeep.
• President Bob Osterman will check with the township on changing the locks on the building to a keypad system and work out the final details of the lease agreement.
• Prior to the next meeting, Bahr and Beckler will work to compile a list of equipment needed by the fireman and the fire hall, decide which equipment should be moved to the Bath fire hall from Groton and which Bath equipment needs to be seen for repair and maintenance.
• County dispatch will also need to be notified to send the calls through the Groton pagers.

• Char Telkamp