Melrose Fire Rating Drops, Promising Lower Insurance Bills in 2022

MELROSE — September 16, 2021 — Melrose fire department earns improved ISO rating, promising insurance relief for residents starting in 2022. Fire Chief Tom Buddy told the Select Board at its September 16 meeting that the city's hydrant-area rating dropped from a four to a three and the non-hydrant area improved from an eight to a seven following the department's quinquennial Insurance Services Office review, which evaluates equipment, training, water supply, and mutual-aid capacity. The board urged residents to contact their insurance carriers before year-end to capture the savings. The board also approved a $1.49 million preliminary 2022 tax levy — identical in dollar terms to the current levy but representing an estimated 3 percent decrease in the tax capacity rate due to rising property values — and set December 16 as the Truth in Taxation hearing. Dave Bonfield, a retired Stearns County deputy, was approved for a part-time police officer position pending background, psychological, and physical evaluations. A Central Minnesota Housing Partnership representative reported $54,612 remaining in a 2018 owner-occupied home improvement grant extended through September 2022, with three to four additional projects still possible.