Babylon Town to discuss contract renewals

The Town of Babylon has scheduled a public hearing for next month on contract renewals with fire and ambulance companies to cover nearly a dozen fire districts outside their jurisdiction.

The town's proposed budget for these districts would increase 2 percent from $13.70 million in 2011 to $13.99 million in 2012. Only seven of the 11 districts' contracts have increased. Town spokesman Tim Ruggeri said the increases are not "out of the ordinary" compared with years past.

The annual contracts which would increase are: Venetian Shores Fire Protection District No. 1 contract with the Village of Lindenhurst, which would grow from $308,000 to $313,230; North Amityville Fire Protection District No. 5 contract with the North Amityville Fire Company Inc., (from $883,200 to $916,411); North Amityville Fire Protection District No. 6 contract with the North Amityville Fire Company Inc. (from $1.27 million to $1.31 million); and East Farmingdale Fire Protection District No. 12 contract with the East Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Company Inc. (from $3.92 million to $4 million).

The others are North Babylon Fire Protection District No. 15 contract with North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company Inc. (from $2.90 million to $2.96 million); North Lindenhurst Fire Protection District No. 16 contract with North Lindenhurst Volunteer Fire Department Inc. (from $1.62 million to $1.67 million; and Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance District contract with Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corp. (from $1.34 million to $1.36 million).

The districts where contracts would stay the same are: Wyandanch Fire Protection District No. 13 ($1.32 million) contract with the Wyandanch Volunteer Fire Company Inc.; West Amityville Fire Protection District No. 23 ($8,000) contract with the Village of Amityville; West Beach Fire Protection District No. 53 ($41,197) contract with the Village of Babylon; and East Beach Fire Protection District No. 54 ($82,147) contract with the Village of Babylon.

The public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m. at Babylon Town Hall in Lindenhurst.