City council approves firetruck, Rainbow Daycare purchases

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City council approves firetruck, Rainbow Daycare purchases

By Kennedi Ford

At their Monday, April 3 meeting, the Redfield city council approved the purchase of a new firetruck and granted Community Memorial Hospital permission to purchase the former Rainbow Daycare building.

Council members, joined by members of the Redfield Fire Department, deliberated the benefits of purchasing the Rosenbauer firetruck. The $777,600 truck features a platform that can be used for fire and water rescue and a has a 200,000 gallon pumper and will replace a truck from 1969. The council will refinance over five years at a 2.69% interest rate. For the council, the main deciding factors for the approval of the purchase were the diversity of uses and the increased safety for the fire department.

The city council also discussed the sale of the Rainbow Daycare building to the Community Memorial Hospital. CEO/Administrator Michael O’Keefe went before the council to request permission for the purchase of the building and land for $85,000. Although no decision has been reached regarding what the building will be used for, O’Keefe listed trainings and certification services, parking, and a new location for home health as potential options.

States Attorney Vic Fischbach also attended the meeting and voiced concerns about the current placement of home health services. In 2006, an agreement was reached between Fischbach, the city council, and CMH for the creation of the University Plaza on 1st Street West. Fischbach urged council members to keep in mind previous discussions and negotiations when considering the approval of the daycare purchase.

“The hospital currently pays $550 a month for 1,500 square feet, which is extremely cheap rent. The five years of reduced rent has been over for over a year. I’ve not sought a raise from the hospital; I looked at it as a community hospital. I’ve not gone to them to seek a raise on that. And the next thing I know is that possibly, we’re pulling out and going somewhere else,” said Fischbach.

The council voted to approve the purchase, but will revisit what the space will be utilized for.