City of Roseville Proceeding With New Fire Station Project

City Council seeking construction bids after Appeals Court affirms dismissal of citizens' group's lawsuit.

In an unanimous vote this week, the Roseville Council has authorized the fire department to seek $5.5 million in bids from contractors on the construction of the interior and exterior of the new station. Bids will go out in the coming days and a council decision on the station contractor is expected in early June. The Council's vote Monday night came after the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision dismissing a citizens' lawsuit trying to block the project. The citizens' group known as Responsible Governance For Roseville (RGR)  contended the fire station project should be subject to a residents referendum. But Appeals Court Judge Thomas Kalitowski  said the district court was justified in dismissing the lawsuit …

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Roseville Council Briefing: Lawmakers Bail on Meeting

The Council renewed 79 liquor licenses.

Here is a round up of some items that came up at this week's Roseville City Council meeting.

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Roseville City Council Preview for Oct. 10

Fire Department reorganization among agenda items.

The Roseville City Council is expected tonight (Monday) to consider approving a reorganization plan for the Fire Department. The department, with the departure of two full-time firefighters, has the opportunity to look at how it’s staffed and structured, Fire Chief Tm O'Neill told the Council at its last meeting. He presented a three-part plan for reorganization including a succession plan, focused distribution of responsibilities and an increased role in emergency management, along with moving to a single fire station model. O"Neill's plan includes adding two positions: a battalion chief of EMS and one of operations. Those positions would work six of the seven daytime shifts, with the seventh shift being worked by a veteran captain. The …

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Roseville Fire Department Eyes Reorganization in 2012

Fire Chief Tim O'Neil proposes plan to City Council.

The Roseville Fire Department, under the leadership of Fire Chief Tim O’Neill, is preparing to undergo reorganization in the 2012-2013 budget year. O’Neil proposed the plan to the City Council at its last regular meeting. The department, with the departure of two full-time firefighters, has the opportunity to look at how it’s staffed and structured, O'Neill indicated. He  presented a three-part plan for reorganization including a succession plan, focused distribution of responsibilities and an increased role in emergency management, along with moving to a single fire station model. O"Neill's plan includes adding two positions: a battalion chief of EMS and one of operations. Those positions would work six of the seven daytime shifts, with …

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Roseville City Council Preview for Monday night

Twin Lakes overlay district, fire department reorganization are among items for action, discussion.

The Roseville City Council is scheduled to meet tonight (Monday) to consider adopting an ordinance for a Twin Lakes overlay district. The council's agenda also includes discussion of a reorganiization of the city fire department and consider awarding a contract for architectural services to design a new fire station. The council meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2660 Civic Center Drive. For a complete list of other council items, click on to the agenda.

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A First Person Account on the BWCA Fire

While communities across Minnesota are prepared to assist in firefighting efforts, a Patch Editor, Jeff Roberts, tells of traveling through the Boundary Waters shortly after the start of the now massive fire.

Our campsite was gone. Within five days of the start of one of the most devastating fires in the history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), word reached us as we paddled some 30 miles away: Our campsite from less than a week before—the place we had slept, laughed, shivered, shared meals and traded stories for almost a week—had been ravaged by the same flames that have since scorched more than 146 square miles of protected wilderness. We had heard the warnings: For 17 days the fire had been growing slowly underground—fires can do that?—sparked by a random lightning strike on Aug. 18. At first, truth be told, none of us worried. We had heard the warnings without heeding them. But each day our clifftop campsite provided a clearer …

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Roseville Finds Shared Fire Service Allows for Better Response, Lower Cost

Fire Chief Tim O'Neil offers report to City Council.

During a time of tight budgets, shared fire fighting services are helping Roseville and other cities contain costs. That was the message Roseville Fire Chief Tim O'Neil had for the Roseville City Council Monday in a reporting on a meeting of the Ramsey County League of Local Governments (RCLLG) regarding shared fire services. Roseville participates with several cities around Ramsey County that are committed to working together to provide fire and rescue services. O'Neil said the initiative allows cities, Roseville included, to share equipment, personnel and ideas. This cooperative arrangement allows the fire departments around the county to focus on a collective inventory of equipment, he said. Instead of every city buying its own very …

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Police & Fire News

Roseville Continues Fire Station Planning

Fire Department is considering a new, bigger station to replace three aging facilities.

The city of Roseville is moving forward with plans that could eventually lead to construction of about a $7 million, single site fire station for the community.  The Project Planning Team—a 20-member committee of citizens, current firefighters and retired firefighters—has begun work this month to help the city find architectural services and potentially construction management for a new fire station project, said Roseville Fire Chief Tim O’Neill. That search, he said, could occur over the next couple of months. Once the city hires an architect or construction management firm to do preliminary drawings and come up with estimated project costs, “we hope in five to six months we will have a project that we can show the City Council, the …

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