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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – AUGUST 17, 2015 2 <br /> <br />stations. He stated that he understood the history of Fire Station 1 but he has to recommend that <br />this station be closed as it is no longer necessary. <br /> <br />Eric Nordeen, Assistant Fire Chief of the Lake Johanna Fire Department, reported that the new <br />staffing model has also improved hiring and employee retention. He believed that the 24-hour <br />duty crew and faster response times have assisted in saving several townhomes in the community <br />already. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant questioned how many cities were serviced by the LJFD and where the fire stations <br />were located. <br /> <br />Chief Boehlke indicated that three cities were serviced by the LJFD and the other stations were <br />located in Shoreview (2) and North Oaks. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant inquired if the longevity of the department would allow for Arden Hills to continue <br />to be protected by the Lake Johanna Fire Department. <br /> <br />Chief Boehlke commented that the Fire Department had a 20-year agreement with the City of <br />Arden Hills. He discussed the numerous staffing benefits of the LJFD. <br /> <br />Further discussion ensued regarding the future of the Lake Johanna Fire Department. <br /> <br />Councilmember Woodburn commented that another option for the City of Arden Hills would be <br />to affiliate with another city for fire protection. He believed that the City’s expense per capita was <br />fair when compared to neighboring cities. He was in favor of reviewing a more “apples-to- <br />apples” comparison of fire service related expenses per capita. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant requested that the conversation return to the future of Fire Station 1. <br /> <br />Chief Boehlke explained that Fire Station 1 was built in 1943 when the department covered the <br />territory all the way to Larpenteur Avenue. He reported that currently Fire Station 1 was in a poor <br />location and did not serve the City of Arden Hills well. In addition, the building was aging and in <br />need of numerous repairs. <br /> <br />Councilmember McClung recommended that if Fire Station 1 were to close, and if the land was <br />sold, the proceeds from the sale could be put into a fund to buy down the capital costs for future <br />equipment expenses. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant did not believe it made much sense to keep the station open given the expense to <br />heat and maintain the building. <br /> <br />Councilmember Woodburn questioned what would happen to the furniture and equipment <br />within Fire Station 1. <br /> <br />Chief Boehlke indicated that an equipment inventory would be taken and some of the equipment <br />would be kept. The remainder would be phased out and sold. He understood that this was a big <br />decision and explained that the Council had time to discuss everything before making a decision.