Dewberry Fire Station to Close Soon

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan today introduced a proposed 2012 city budget that calls for no tax increase, but would increase sewer and water rates and cut the total number of city employees by 10.

The mayor also confirmed his decision to close the, “as soon as immediately feasible,” relocate its equipment and renovate and repurpose the building to become an emergency medical services center from which at least a portion of the city’s ambulance fleet will be dispatched.

Callahan said he hopes to have the fire station closed within a couple of weeks.

The mayor said he is proposing a 17-percent increase in sewer rate, a raise that would cost the average customer $33.06 a year. Callahan’s proposed water rate increase is 10.4 percent, which would cost the average city water consumer $38.40 a year.

The water rate increase is identical to one that the Public Utility Commission approved earlier this year on Bethlehem water customers who live outside of the city and the first increase since 2008. Sewer rates have not increased since 2006, Callahan said.

The rate increases are necessary to pay for system upgrades for both water and sewage treatment, Callahan said.

The mayor said he is recommending that council keep the it adopted for this year to continue to fund capital improvement projects. The current year’s money was set aside to buy a new fire truck and build a new EMS center, but the cost of both items was more than originally anticipated. Those funds remain unspent.

The plan to convert the Dewberry Avenue fire station to an EMS center remains controversial. A group of city residents have put together an on-line petition to try to convince Callahan to reconsider closing the station as a fire house.

Some City Council members, including Council President Robert Donchez, have said they are opposed to closing the fire station. However, council members have also said they do not have the authority to stop the mayor from shutting the station.

Callahan said the staffing cuts in his budget proposal will save the city $870,000.

Eight jobs – – would be cut through attrition. Three employees in Community Development will be laid off. A loan coordinator, a housing inspector and a plumbing inspector would be eliminated.

At the same time, Callahan is proposing to add a full-time youth recreation coordinator. Mark Atkinson, who currently does that job for South Bethlehem only through grant funding, would perform those duties for the whole city and the city would assume his full $40,000-a-year salary.

The city currently pays half of that salary, but Atkinson is limited to working only in South Bethlehem, Callahan said. The city would continue to accept the grant money, which would be used to pay to bolster programming for South Bethlehem youth, the mayor said.