Saline County approves financing and construction contract for Brookville Fire Station

Saline County commissioners on Feb. 4 approved financing for Rural Fire District No. 3’s Brookville fire station and, separately, awarded the construction contract to NF Construction for a base bid of $661,000.

The approvals follow requests from Fire District No. 3 trustees and fire chief Scott Apgar, who told commissioners the district solicited local bank offers for up to $650,000 over a 20-year term and recommended Bennington State Bank’s offer. "Financing the full $650,000 with a term of 20 years would result in an annual payment of around $54,008," Apgar said, adding the district expects to use donated funds and its special equipment fund to reduce the financed amount.

Why it matters: the approvals move a multi-year project to break ground and commit local public funds and district levy revenue to long-term debt. The district already increased its budget this year in anticipation of a building payment and estimates financing could require further budget increases in future years.

Board and bid background: the district opened construction bids in December and the Board of Trustees recommended NF Construction’s low base bid of $661,000. Two other bidders submitted higher base bids; some bidders included voluntary deductions for construction details (for example, liner-panel installation methods) that could reduce costs if negotiated. Trustees asked that the county authorize the fire chief or the district secretary-treasurer, with county administrator approval, to approve change orders up to $5,000 during construction.

District financing and local impact: Apgar told the commission the district has about $103,000 in donated funds earmarked for the project and $42,288.17 remaining in ARPA grant funds awarded by the county; the remainder of the construction cost will be covered by the recently approved financing and the district’s Special Equipment Fund, which the district reported at $94,610. Apgar said the district increased its 2025 budget by $34,000 in anticipation of this payment and estimated a typical $100,000 house in the district would see roughly an $8.64-per-year tax increase tied to the project; a $200,000 house would see about $16 more per year by his estimate.

Discussion and concerns: commissioners and the public pressed for cost control and clarity. A commissioner questioned why the project used an engineered (red-iron/steel) building design rather than post-frame options, noting some local contractors declined to bid because they do not staff engineers. Apgar replied that engineered buildings require different specifications and that value engineering — including selecting liner panels with visible fasteners instead of hidden fasteners — could save $10,000–$12,000 and that trustees had discussed such options.

Votes and next steps: the commission voted to approve the financing request (RFA 2025-11) and, in a subsequent agenda item, to award the construction contract to NF Construction (RFA 2025-13). The district will return as construction proceeds for any required change-order approvals, and the county administrator and district officials said they will later seek authority to list the existing station for sale after operations move to the new building.

Ending: With financing and contract in place, trustees signaled they are ready to proceed; commissioners asked staff to track costs closely and to present any material change orders or budget impacts to the commission.