The Laurel City Council met for their regular business meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12. Richard Klose, Irv Wilke and Bill Mountsier were absent.
Mayor Tom Nelson and the councilors in attendance heard from several members of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department regarding changes the mayor has proposed for the department. The mayor has indicated in interviews he plans to combine the fire and ambulance departments and hire one fire chief to oversee the new department. To pay for the associated costs, monies have been reassigned from the fire department. There were about 15 firefighters in attendance at the meeting.
“I’m here to voice some support for our fire department and the way it is structured today,” said Cory McIlvain, a volunteer with the LVFD for 16 years. “What I have heard is troublesome.”