About 14 months and more than a million dollars later, folks in Lorain are still waiting for the city to do something with the fire levy they voted and paid for.
News 5 last checked in on the new fire station's status in October 2017. This was about one year after the city's budget struggle with the fire department in 2016, when more than 20 firefighters were laid off and station replacements were put on hold.
A state SAFER grant saved 22 jobs. Residents voted on and passed a five year property tax levy to maintain the jobs and pay for two new stations and improvements.
The new station is a public safety priority, since the current station serving the area is not centrally located and is nearly 100 years old.
"It could cause delays for response where our station is at right now," Union President Brett Brown explained.
Now it's 2018. So, what's the hold up?
"The levy passed, the money is there and some of the people who live around here feel like they didn't get what they voted for," said Fire Chief Matt Homolya. "Yeah, they're getting what they voted for they just need to patient with us. We wanted to make sure we did the right thing. We served them properly, used the money properly. Now the update is we have preliminary plans, we are expecting the final plans in the next week or two."
Chief Homolya showed News 5 the current prints.
"This is the front, with a porch, its more of a craftsman style home."
Chief Homoly says the design is made to fit in with the residential area.
The chief said the plans should move off the paper and be put into action in the coming months.
"We are still expecting or hoping to break ground this spring, still."
