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Committee keeps fire radios request and calls for a feasibility study on station needs
Summary
Fire department asked for portable-radio replacements and requested new garage/headquarters work; the committee supported radios and recommended a feasibility study to clarify whether a new building, expansion, or renovation best meets needs.
The Gardner City fire department presented multiple capital requests for FY26 and future years, including portable radio replacements and proposals for a three-bay standalone garage and a new or renovated headquarters. The Capital Improvement Committee on April 16 backed replacing portable radios and asked for a feasibility study before advancing large-building construction requests.
Portable radios: the department listed replacement of portable radios as an emergency/high-priority request for FY26; committee members expressed support for keeping that item on the recommended list, noting public safety priority.
Garages/headquarters and feasibility: the department also proposed a three-bay standalone garage and a $10 million (approximate) new headquarters in later years. Committee members criticized the cost estimates as preliminary and often too low or “ballpark” without studies. The committee agreed the next logical step is a feasibility study to evaluate options (renovate and expand the existing headquarters using annex property, build a new facility, or pursue a hybrid/satellite approach). One committee member recommended the department consider a study first; another said, “I think a feasibility study should look at that.”
Why it matters: fire-station facilities affect operational continuity (where to work if a station is taken offline), gendered facility needs (female restroom/locker space), and equipment capacity. Committee members emphasized planning for operations continuity during any renovation or new-building work.
Next steps: the committee agreed to include portable-radio replacement on the FY26 recommended priorities and to place a placeholder request for a feasibility study on the station-building alternatives so that the department can return with a more detailed cost and program analysis.
