STURTEVANT - Attorneys are reviewing a proposed final draft for the agreement that would allow the merging of the Sturtevant and Mount Pleasant fire departments.

And completion of that review can't come soon enough, said Sturtevant Village Administrator Mark Janiuk. Both village governments need to know if the merger is going forward so budgets for the coming year can be completed.

The village boards in August gave preliminary approval to the merger concept.

Mount Pleasant Fire Chief Bill Bouma said the merger will improve service to both communities. It will also save Mount Pleasant the expense of having to build a new headquarters station. The plan is to use Sturtevant's fire house as the headquarters for the combined

department.

The merger would save Sturtevant the expense of having to hire more firefighters. All nine full-time members of the Sturtevant department would remain with the combined department, but Sturtevant's 16 part-time firefighters would be out of a job.

Janiuk said the villages are still looking at a start date of Jan. 1 for the combined operations.

The two villages already respond together on many calls. Bouma said the merger could be the first step in consolidation of fire departments throughout eastern Racine County.