Tempers flared during Wednesday's public meeting to discuss the relocation of Fire Station No. 9 with St. Joseph Fire Department officials. Fire Department and public works department staff were present to give a brief overview of the project.
"The location was proposed by a public works person, and I thought he was crazy at the time," said Chief Mike Dalsing of the St. Joseph Fire Department. "... We measured the space and put one of our old stations on top of it and it fits and it's got good access in and out and we are pretty excited about it."
The process of building the fire station began July 24, 2014, when Dalsing presented a station relocation study to the City Council. The original proposed location was next to Bode Middle School, but residents were opposed to the site, so six other locations were discussed. City Council decided on the current Faraon Street location in a work session last month.
Officials have said relocating Fire Station No. 9 would improve response times for residents on the East Side of St. Joseph.
During Wednesday's meeting, Councilwoman Pat Jones said she and Councilwoman Barbara LaBass walked west from the 3100 block of Faraon Street to get feedback from residents. She said most of the residents were concerned about flooding and traffic. After hearing Jones share her feedback, tempers began to flare.