East Clinton Fire District seeks $4.5 million bond for new firehouse; referendum set for June 3

The East Clinton Fire District on a recent public meeting laid out plans to build a new firehouse and asked voters to approve borrowing $4.5 million to complete the project.

Commissioner and active firefighter Steve Forsler opened the presentation by explaining the district’s role and financial situation: “We are the commissioners of the East Clinton Fire District,” he said, and later that the district “is faced with a challenge, of a facility that has reached the end of its useful life.” Forsler said the current station was built in 1957, is not handicapped accessible, lacks decontamination and training space, and cannot accommodate modern apparatus safely.

Why it matters: District leaders said the existing station’s physical limits affect safety, training and mutual-aid response. Forsler warned that inadequate facilities can raise insurance costs and reduce the district’s ability to deliver water and firefighting resources to incidents. He said the proposed building would be a functional, steel structure with larger bays and dedicated training and decontamination areas.

Details of the plan and finance: The commissioners presented a roughly $6 million construction estimate. Forsler said the district has about…