City of Neenah council members on Aug. 6 heard a detailed presentation on the planned remodel of Fire Station 31 at Breezewood Lane and related training-ground work and voted down a council directive that would have formally required a pros-and-cons debate about building new versus remodeling the existing station. Chief Tash of Neenah‑Menasha Fire Rescue laid out the scope of a complete renovation, the project timeline and how shared non‑fire costs will be split. The motion to create the directive failed 6 noes to 3 ayes.

The presentation described the project as a complete remodel that strips existing exterior and interior finishes down to the structure, replaces HVAC and plumbing systems, reconfigures dormitories into private bunk rooms, adds drive‑through apparatus bays and expands fitness, locker and decontamination facilities. Chief Tash said, “This is a complete remodel,” and explained the design responds to deficiencies identified in prior consultant studies.

Why the council should care: the work affects shared operations for a joint department, changes how station space is used for community functions such as voting and an Emergency Operations Center, and involves capital spending and contracting choices that the council must approve.

Key details presented and clarified during the meeting: the package combines Station 31 remodel work with training‑ground improvements into a single bid document to reduce mobilization costs, but procurement, funding and approvals will follow separate tracks for each piece. Chief Tash said one bidder will be selected as a general contractor at risk; that contractor would have 300 calendar days to complete the work from contract signing and the draft contract includes a $1,000‑per‑day liquidated‑damages provision for late completion.

Chief Tash described cost‑allocation rules for non‑fire spaces already in place: building repairs are on a 70/30 split (Neenah pays 70 percent; the remainder is divided between DPW and IS at 15 percent each), while some operating utilities use a 90/10 split. He also detailed programmatic changes built into the remodel to address consultant findings: private toilet/shower rooms, separate washing/extractor rooms for turnout gear with positive‑pressure ventilation, a nursing‑mother room, expanded conference/training space, gear lockers for up to 20 sets of turnout gear and an on‑site compressor and clean fill station for SCBA bottles.

Council discussion focused on process and timing rather than technical design. Mayor and council members said bids will be opened Aug. 26 and the council intends to convene a committee of the whole to review returned bids and related cost information before making a final course decision. Alderman Erickson suggested targeting the Sept. 17 council meeting window for further review given calendar constraints; other members said a committee meeting within a couple of weeks after bids return was the plan.

Alderman Paul Knoll had introduced a council directive to require a formal pros‑and‑cons discussion of new construction versus remodeling; it was seconded but failed on the council floor, 6 noes to 3 ayes. Council President Borchard and others said the administration and staff already had established a process of bid review and that the committee‑of‑the‑whole review after bids would allow full council input.

The presentation also covered temporary arrangements for personnel during construction: Chief Tash said one side of the building will be isolated so staff can be temporarily housed in converted rooms on the unaffected side while work proceeds; he estimated roughly six months for that phase, with the contractor moving through the remainder of the work within the 300‑day period from contract signing. Chief Tash said, “They have 300 days to complete the project from the day we sign the agreement.”

No formal contract award or budget appropriation for the Station 31 remodel was made during the Aug. 6 meeting; council members said they will review returned bids and financing options before any formal approvals. The council also discussed a separate, related RFP process for joint‑department studies and agreed the mayor and Menasha counterparts will continue coordinating that work.

What happens next: bids are due back and will be opened Aug. 26; staff will schedule a committee of the whole to review bids and related cost information and report back to both councils for any required approvals.