BUCYRUS — There was much discussion during Bucyrus City Council’s meeting Tuesday evening regarding the Staffing for Adequate Fire and EMS Response (SAFER) Grant to allow the city to add six more firefighters to the fire department and possibly pave the way for the city to operate its own emergency medical service unit.

Two weeks ago, council passed a resolution to authorize Mayor Jeff Reser to apply for the grant but Reser vetoed the resolution last Friday.

City Auditor Joyce Schifer has said that if the city is approved for the grant and accepts it, the city will be locked in to keeping the number of employees on the fire department as it had when the grant was applied for. During the meeting she said the city is down about $58,000 in revenue this year, already, and the future of city finances cannot be predicted due to the pandemic.

Reser said in his report to council that the arbitrary number of adding six firefighters has not been fully discussed.

“It is substantially more than was needed in past city council discussions. Do you think you have all the information needed to make this decision?” Reser asked the council members.

He said potential layoffs in the fire department will only be allowed with the possible granting of a waiver from FEMA and the layoffs would only come from experienced firefighters, not from new hires.

“Is this in the best interest of our veteran firefighters and citizens? If a waiver is applied for and not received, then all of the layoffs will come from the police department and dispatch. Are you prepared to sacrifice the safety of our citizens by the potential layoffs, especially in the light of the effects of COVID-19 which is already showing up in increased drug use in our community? How are we ever to grow our population if we can’t have a safe community,” Reser said.

Reser said applying for the Safer Grant has other consequences that are unintended especially in a time where we need unity to get through this crisis. He also urged council members to review the report submitted by Dr. William Kramer who completed a feasibility study on a city-run emergency medical service.

Kramer was part of the meeting Tuesday evening and detailed the pros and cons of the city taking on EMS at this time since there are so many unknowns due to the pandemic.

“Applying for the SAFER grant now is not in the best interest of our citizens and should not be done,” Reser said. “I appeal to your good sense and leadership to take a hard look at the effects of overriding my veto of Resolution 219-2020.”

Council will meet in an online meeting on Memorial Day at 9 a.m. to vote on whether or not to override Reser’s veto.

Also during the meeting, Reser said plans are in the works to open Aumiller Park Pool according to Gov. Mike DeWine’s guidelines and the city currently is taking applications for lifeguards.

Council approved an ordinance to the issuance and sale of $200,000 of the bond anticipation note for the pool along with a resolution to hire Lyn Makeever as the city’s engineer. Two ordinances regarding manpower details, including scheduled raises for city employees, was tabled. An ordinance for street closures for the Bratwurst Festival was kept to a second reading.

The council’s joint committee meeting is online Thursday at 6 p.m. The next council meeting is June 2 at 7 p.m.