Fire Chief responds to county complaint on Loves Park business

By Margaret Downing
REPORTER
Per the Loves Park Fire Department report presented Feb. 27 at the city council meeting, Fire Chief Phil Foley was “contacted by the Winnebago County Health Department about a fire in a deep fat fryer and that the cook had dumped a bucket of water on the fire to put it out.”
Foley advised the business owners not to use the fryers and to turn off the gas. According to the report, there were other violations and Foley gave the owners a list that needs to be completed by the business, which was unnamed, up to par.
Alderman Clint Little gave the weekly police activity report for the week of Feb. 19-25 in which 495 calls for service were received, 176 arrests were made (includes warnings and tickets), and 10 accidents were responded to.
On the weekly fire department report dated Feb. 26, four fire calls, four fire alarm calls, two assist police calls, one gas wash down call, one wire down call, and two smoke or odor investigation calls were reported.
Approval was given for payment of $31,184.74 in water department bills, and $132,095.72 in general fund and all other bills, as presented Feb. 20.
It was announced that police officer Colleen Gaspard had sent in a resignation from the department effective March 10 as she is relocating out of state.
Mayor Darryl Lindberg noted that the annual firefighters award dinner was held Feb. 25 at the Clifford E. Johnson VFW Post No. 9759, and that Lieutenant James Tucker was named as “Firefighter of the Year.” Tucker’s five-year old son presented him with the award. The annual police officer of the year event was set for March 4 at the same location.
Two resolutions authorizing Chief Foley to seek negotiated bids for replacement of a rooftop air conditioning unit at Fire Station No. 1, and the other for replacement of “two Modine heaters” at Fire Station No. 2 were both approved.
A resolution okaying a donation to Rock Valley College/Youth Groundwater Festival in the amount of $400 was passed, the festival set for March 8 at Rock Valley College.
An ordinance “adopting a revised sexual harassment policy and pregnancy rights notice” was approved.
Alderman Greg Jury noted that ending treasurer’s report balance for the month of January came in at $7,509,175.24.