STONE HARBOR – For 12 years, Ned and Sharon Galbally have been trying to relocate a fire siren from the right of way adjacent to their property.
In an unusual vote, Stone Harbor Borough Council approved moving the siren, even though there is no consensus on a new location.
The device, on a pole at 106th Street, was used for years by the borough’s volunteer fire department. As such, it would be sounded almost as frequently as calls for fire service came into the department.
Over time, the device morphed from a fire siren to a less frequently used weather alert system, which the borough’s emergency management coordinator is reluctant to see removed entirely from service. The other option, which council has been exploring, is to maintain the alert system, but relocate it from its present location.
Councilman Frank Dallahan Feb. 2 presented a motion granting the borough engineer the authority to move the siren, but not specifying a new location. In effect, the vote was to commit the borough to the move, while searching for an ideal spot.
The motion elicited three yes votes, one no vote, and two abstentions from the six-member council.
