Staff floats idea to share fire‑department mechanic, repurpose rented room and expand office space

Chris, a staff member, told the Points and Grounds Committee that he had discussed with Fire Chief Jack Trenish the possibility of the fire department hiring a mechanic while the city pays part of that employee’s salary and the department provides workspace in one of its stations (the Jefferson station). Chris said the approach could provide the city with a dedicated mechanic without spending the roughly $80,000 the city had set aside to upgrade the Creek Road facility for a mechanic bay.

Chris said the idea would reduce the city’s immediate capital outlay because the department would hire the mechanic and the city would subsidize a portion of the salary; he added that any agreement would include a memorandum of agreement spelling out how the mechanic’s time is allocated between the city and fire department priorities. ‘‘They would dedicate a certain amount of that person’s time to us,’’ Chris said. He also said that a lift purchased by the city could be moved if the city later built or moved to a different shop facility.

The conversation also covered the room next door that is currently rented to COTC and used in part by a trucking school. Chris said staff would check the lease with COTC and the trucking program to determine whether the city could rearrange classrooms and bring more city staff upstairs. He described potential future uses for recovered space — smaller conference rooms, additional planner or HR offices, or IT workspace — and noted soundproofing would be required if the space is to be used for executive sessions.

Committee members raised practical questions about tools, lifts and how priorities would be handled in winter or for plow work; Chris said those priorities would be part of an agreement with the fire department and that the idea is preliminary. No formal agreement or budget change was approved during the meeting.