Norwich — The City Council Monday approved hiring an Illinois consulting firm for $81,150 to conduct a controversial comprehensive study of the city’s fire service.

The council and the three-member Public Safety Committee have been debating a plan to hire an outside firm to do an in-depth study of the city’s fire services, with the council’s four majority Democrats advocating for the study and the minority three Republicans, including Mayor Peter Nystrom, opposed to the move.

Opponents cited the unbudgeted cost of the study and poor timing as city leaders and emergency response agencies are dealing with coronavirus challenges. Supporters of the city’s five volunteer fire departments also are concerned that the study could lead to a revival of a failed effort to spread the city’s paid fire district tax citywide.

The council voted 4-3 along party lines to approve the study, which is slated to be done by Dec. 31.

During the debate, Republican Alderwoman Stacy Gould, a volunteer firefighter, reiterated arguments she has made at meetings. She said the city is in no financial position to be spending more than $81,000 on a study while many Norwich residents have lost their jobs and more job losses are expected when the Mohegan Sun Casino lays off many workers who were furloughed during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Democratic Council President Pro Tempore Mark Bettencourt admitted it is “not the perfect time” to be doing the study, but the problems will still be there when the pandemic is over. Democratic Alderman Derell Wilson repeated his long-standing argument that the city cannot stop functioning during the pandemic and city leaders have an obligation to look for improvements and efficiencies in government.

“If we keep kicking the can down the road, it will continue to stare at us,” Wilson said.

The Public Safety Committee voted 2-1 last week, with Bettencourt and Chairman Alderman Joseph DeLucia in favor and Republican William Nash opposed, to recommend the full council contract with McGrath Consulting Group, Inc. of Wonder Lake, Ill., to conduct the study.

The firm was recommended by an in-house committee appointed by City Manager John Salomone that included the city manager, Comptroller Josh Pothier, Purchasing Agent Robert Castronova, Yantic volunteer Fire Chief Frank Blanchard and acting Norwich paid Fire Chief Keith Wucik. The committee interviewed four finalists from the eight firms that submitted proposals.

The proposal calls for a detailed study of fire emergency call response and the order in which departments are dispatched to calls and an assessment of apparatus response practices, response time data, radio communications and dispatch staffing, fire apparatus inventory and replacement, equipment purchase and inventory control and staffing.

Fire services and the relationship between the city’s five volunteer departments and the central city paid department have been contentious for decades, including following an Aug. 3 fire that caused heavy damage to a four-family house on Prospect Street.

Salomone told the City Council Monday that on Aug. 5, he met with Nystrom, two volunteer chiefs and paid department acting Chief Wucik regarding complaints that the city’s five volunteer departments, all of which were called to the fire, were not utilized to “the greatest extent necessary,” Salomone said. Salomone said the meeting “cleared the air,” with Wucik explaining the situation.

“The chief (Wucik) explained what happened, and I think the explanation was agreeable to all concerned after a dialogue on it,” Salomone said. “I was satisfied with the resolution.”

Nash repeated his position that he does not oppose conducting an in-depth study of fire services, but is frustrated that the city couldn't resolve the six issues with its own fire experts. But Nash said now is not the time to spend $81,150 cost — to be taken from the city’s contingency fund — on a study he fears will not be comprehensive.

“I’m not against the study, I’m just against the price that we’re paying for a partial study,” Nash said. “There’s no way this is going to be a full study. Their own admission is they’re not going to give us a full study for this price.”

The Public Safety Committee in 2019 had asked Salomone and the six fire chiefs to study the fire services and responses by departments that could allow a phase-out of some apparatus over time to save money. Aldermen became frustrated with lack of progress in the in-house study and called for an outside firm to do the study.

c.bessette@theday.com