BROOKFIELD Trustees to start taking bids for new township fire station

BROOKFIELD -- Township trustees learned Tuesday that plans for a new fire station have been completed by architect John Gritza, and they expect to start accepting bids next week for the facility at state Route 82 and Addison Road.
Trustees hope to be able to award a construction contract at their November meeting.
Stanley Bell from Eastern Natural Gas of Burghill discussed possible replacement of gas pipelines in the Valley View and Masury areas.
Many of those gas lines were installed in the early 1900s, and were made of steel. Since the 1970s, the gas company has installed only plastic lines, Bell said.
It will cost about $2.3 million to replace the lines in that area and an additional $3.8 million to complete replacement of the rest of the 59 miles of lines in the township, Bell said.
Bell estimated that an assessment of $4 or less per month on residential gas bills for the first four years, then $5 or less per month for the next six years would cover the cost of replacing all of the lines.
The project would be completed within 10 years.
Resident Pat Nicastro pointed out that Brookfield residents are paying more than $2 more per cubic foot of gas than Niles, for example.
Bell said part of the difference is because the Niles service area has many more people than Brookfield so the rate by volume is lower. He also said Brookfield residents are being charged more for natural gas service than other communities because the gas company pays a higher insurance rate because of the old pipe lines.
Another resident, Bill Strimbu, suggested starting a fund for continual care of township cemeteries. He proposes a percentage of the money from each burial go into an escrow account to help pay for maintenance.
Trustees invited anyone 65 or older, and disabled people who are unable to rake leaves this fall, to call the trustees' office so a schedule of community service work can be arranged.
Qualifying residents are asked to call the office before Sept. 30.