Photo: CBS 12
The pushback by many Jupiter residents against a plan to start a town fire rescue department continues.
At Tuesday night's Council meeting, they again spoke out in favor of keeping Palm Beach County Fire Rescue on the job.
One of the more vocal residents against the plan which has been agreed upon by the Town Council is Chelsea Gass.
“When you create a small fire department, you’re going to get rookies, you’re going to get firefighters who couldn’t make it in the big town, you’re going to get retired people. That’s now who I want to be coming to my rescue.”
Gass also says that residents should be given a vote. She's gathering signatures on a petition.
“I know if we get 10 percent of Jupiter registered voters to sign our new petition it’s going to start a referendum and they’re not going to be able to spend any money and that’s going to give us a chance to give them our opinions to make it to go on a ballot and we can vote.”
The county has been handling these services in Jupiter for decades, but town leaders were presented with a report from a consultant that they could save an estimated $68 million over a ten-year period.
But at least one member of the Town Council disagrees, after a PBC Fire Rescue official disputed the figure.
The Jupiter Town Council has voted to move forward with creation of the Jupiter Fire and Rescue Department, with service expected to start in 2026.