Council approves $330,500 backup appropriation to advance Nineveh fire-station design

Johnson County Council on Aug. 11 approved a conditional appropriation of $330,500 from the county—s cumulative capital development fund to pay early professional costs tied to a planned replacement fire station in Nineveh Township.

Jeff Peters, financial adviser with Peters Franklin, told the council the appropriation would cover architects, engineers, legal and accounting fees that the Nineveh Fire District would incur before the district—s planned bond issuance. "So the proposal here is for the cumulative capital development fund to appropriate $330,500 if the project were to fall through. If it goes to fruition, all those costs will be part of that 12,730,000.00 and paid for out of the bond proceeds, and there would be no need for expending that appropriation," Peters said.

The appropriation is a preliminary step in a larger plan the district and county outlined at the meeting. Peters said the district—s financing estimate includes both a new station and a fire engine: "The amount for financing both the building and a fire engine at about $1,200,000. The total for both of those is about 12,730,000.00." He said the district aims to have designs and documents ready to bid in early 2026.

Joshua Snyder, identified in the meeting as a fire chief, described operational constraints at the existing station and why replacement is needed. Snyder said the current station dates to 1955, cannot accommodate modern trucks without special orders and lacks basic exhaust and sleeping facilities. Assistant Chief Kyle Brooks also spoke about the district—s coverage: "We protect 5,000 people," Brooks said, adding the district also responds to calls at the nearby Atterbury facility and has billed that facility for services intermittently.

Peters said that if the bond issuance moves forward, the repayment structure will likely be a lease rental backed by a building corporation because the project would exceed the fire district—s general obligation bond cap. Bond authorization would return to the council for approval, likely in December, he said. The district also plans two public hearings and a remonstrance period that Peters said runs from about Sept. 5 to Oct. 6; if remonstrators succeed, the proposal would go to referendum.

Council member John Mallers made the motion to approve the additional appropriation; Michelle Ann Graves seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The council and presenters repeatedly emphasized the appropriation is conditional and intended only to cover soft costs if the bond process continues. Several council members said county staff and commissioners will review the project's scope and costs before the county commits to debt service approval.

Votes at a glance: the appropriation motion was moved by John Mallers and seconded by Michelle Ann Graves; all council members present voted in favor.

Planning next steps: the fire district will continue work with architects and engineers to prepare bid documents for early 2026 and return to the council for bond approval later this year; the county also discussed donating part of the current site for a community park if the station is relocated.