By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council approved a contract with the city’s firefighters Monday evening that included a 7% raise this year, 4% in 2025, and 4% in 2026.
The raises are higher than normal for Bowling Green, but necessary to keep up with trends in the profession, according to city Finance Director Dana Pinkert and Human Resources Director Michelle Ish.
“It’s uncommonly high for Bowling Green, but it’s not uncommonly high in firefighting,” Ish said, noting that other municipalities are making the same type of pay raises.
The contract with International Association of Firefighters Local 2379 was voted on following a 25-minute executive session for City Council. An emergency was declared by council so the contract didn’t have to go through the customary three readings.
The new contract keeps the shift hours the same for firefighters, and adds maternity/paternity leave.
The BG Fire Division covers the city and the Bowling Green State University campus with 51 full-time personnel, who are divided into three shifts (with exception to the chief, deputy chief, and administrative secretary). Each shift works for an entire 24-hour period, which equates to 52 hours a week.
All personnel are required to maintain Fire Fighter II certification (the highest fire certification) and pass an agility test. All personnel are also required to maintain a minimum EMS certification of EMT-Basic, but many are certified at an ALS (advanced life support) level.
In 2023, the fire division responded to 3,583 incidents, about 200 more than the previous year. Seeing the need for more staff, city leaders approved the hiring of six additional firefighters.
That allows the fire division to staff a third ambulance. Nearly 80% of emergency calls coming into BGFD are EMS runs.
Also Monday evening, Pinkert presented the quarterly finance report to a City Council committee. A highlight of the report for the city was the 8% increase in income tax revenues.
In other business, council approved a resolution for a Vision Zero commitment to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries from crashes on Bowling Green streets. The city, along with the Wood County Engineer’s Office, has been partnering with Lucas, Ottawa and Sandusky counties to develop a Northwest Ohio Safe Streets for All Action Plan.
Each partner in the Vision Zero project was asked to pass a resolution in order to get the maximum grant funding – which could be up to $5 million for Bowling Green alone.
Also at the meeting, council heard the second reading of an ordinance authorizing the municipal administrator to enter into a lease agreement with BG Citizens for Dog Parks.
Three citizens offered comments in support of the proposed dog park in the northern portion of Ridge Park. Wendy Manning told council of the organization’s continuing efforts to get the word out and bring money in for the project – including plans for a “Yappy Hour” on May 18.
Manning said the BG Citizens of Dog Parks is looking forward to partnering with the city on the project.
Lee Liebetreu, accompanied to the meeting by her dog Harrigan, voiced support for the proposed park. “Harry’s very happy to have a walking park,” she said.
And Jo Ascunce remarked that she has been working on a public dog park in Bowling Green for two years, initially being told, “that’s not going to happen.”
Ridge Park is a great location, with the playground on the south section and the “gray area” on the north section being turned into a dog park, Ascunce said. The investment in becoming a more “dog-friendly city” will be well worth it, she added.
Also at the meeting, Lindsay Jo Durham talked about a community art project that will be featured during this year’s Art Walk on May 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a reception at the library from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Durham, who is office manager for Downtown BG and secretary of the Bowling Green Arts Council, said this year Tim Emmerich and Ardy Gonyer with Easy Street Cafe have donated many chairs for the community to decorate.
She brought one of the chairs to the podium to show what they look like before being decorated. Each chair can be purchased for $10 from the Downtown BG office at 217 S. Church St., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Chairs can be decorated as wished – as long as they are family friendly. On the day of the Art Walk, the community is invited to purchase raffle tickets to vote for and have a chance to win their favorite chair, Durham said.
The artist of the chair that gets the most votes will win $50 in Downtown Dollars. The chair raffle and announcement of the crowd favorite will take place during the after-party.
Proceeds will benefit the downtown flower fund, Durham said.
In other business, Mayor Mike Aspacher talked about the solar eclipse on April 8, and the planning effort that helped the city handle so many visitors. All the city parks had crowds, with the parking lots full at Carter and Simpson parks.
“I was pretty skeptical before the event,” Aspacher said, explaining that he couldn’t understand why people would travel great distances to see the eclipse.
But then he saw it for himself. “It exceeded my expectations,” the mayor said.
