After a tense debate, the Jackson Board of Aldermen voted 5-3 Monday night in favor of putting a quarter-cent sales tax on the November ballot to support an additional fire station on the east side of the city.

The proposed city-owned location, near the water tower on Old Orchard Road, was opposed by Dale Rauh, David Reiminger and David Hitt. Rauh and Reiminger said the location was too close to Interstate 55 to serve the highest number of residents.

The plan is needed, proponents say, to improve response times, which will improve insurance ratings and decrease insurance costs for all Jackson residents. In addition, it will provide a second fire crew to assist fighting fires throughout the city.

But Rauh compared the situation to Cape Girardeau putting a fire station next to the river. He said the plan, three years in the making, was based more on saving money than protecting its residents. He said he tested response times on his own, and the proposed location still was too far away from many places still considered on the east side of town.

A committee of eight people, including firefighters and city aldermen, studied the issue for the last three years.

"Many on the council, and in this room, have said 'this is not the best location, but ...'" Rauh said. "But what?

"It's a huge disappointment, and I'm sorry it took three years to come up with this recommendation."

Reiminger said he feared approval of the current proposed location would put future aldermen in a tough spot. He said future aldermen will be faced with adding a third station. He also said the location would require trucks to be backed into the bays.

Hitt said an issue that doesn't have the full support of the board of aldermen is likely to fail. He suggested that Reiminger and Rauh serve on the committee to help find a suitable location.

Alderman Mark Dambach, who served on the committee that came up with the proposal, said the group asked all the questions that Rauh and Reiminger were asking and that the group felt the best plan was brought forward.

If nothing is done, Dambach said, the Insurance Services Organization rating will certainly decline and the quarter-cent sales tax will be cheap compared to the higher insurance costs.

"If I have a fire or a heart attack, I don't give a damn about the ISO rating," Rauh said. "I want them there fast."

Fire chief Jason Mouser was disappointed following the aldermen's debate of the proposal. Typically, boards and councils are unified when they place taxes on ballots. He acknowledged the location is not perfect.

"It's still going to be beneficial to the city with there being two crews," he said.

Nightclub permit

In other action, the aldermen passed a special-use permit for a nightclub at 2990 South Old Orchard Road in the former Wm. Nobbe & Co. John Deere dealership location. The area was zoned for commercial property, which allows retail, general service or repair businesses.

Two people spoke in opposition of the proposal. One said it would promote negative behaviors, including drinking and driving; the other said the facility would not create enough revenue to compensate for the extra police support the facility would require.

Jonny Tosarello made the proposal and assured the board Monday night he would not turn the club into a strip joint or anything to do with adult entertainment. Tosarello, a professional lighting designer who has worked with a variety of nationally known musical acts, says he wants to settle down in Jackson.

He said he fell in love with the community but that there is no place in Jackson to go see a band. He said he wanted to attract adults who wanted to enjoy different types of music, from country to rock. He said he's not necessarily looking to attract the college demographic, which has immediate access to the bars in downtown Cape Girardeau.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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