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Caribou council clears fire-station renovation for bid and OKs applying for federal funding for apparatus bay
Summary
Council approved sending fire-station renovation construction documents to bid and authorized staff to apply for FY2027 congressionally directed spending to build a 3,000-sq-ft apparatus bay (staff estimate all-in ~$3.4M) with a 10% downtown TIF match; council also discussed ladder-truck fit and potential cost savings of spec vs. custom trucks.
The Caribou City Council voted to approve construction documents and put the fire-station renovation out to bid after a presentation on a 95% design set. The consultant said the changes since the design development package were minor, including an added egress door to the dormitory. Staff expect bids to be ready for return to the council in May after a typical four-week bid period.
Separately, councilors authorized the city manager to apply for a FY2027 congressionally directed spending request to fund an apparatus bay expansion on the south side of the existing fire station. Fire Chief Bridal LeJoy described the operational need: the 1978 building was sized for smaller vehicles and cannot accommodate most modern ladder trucks without modification. Chief LeJoy said a new bay roughly 30 feet wide by 100 feet long would allow the department to house a ladder truck and free up interior space for ambulances and equipment.
Staff estimates for the bay addition put construction at about $2.8 million, with soft costs and contingency bringing the all-in estimate to approximately $3.4 million. Staff and the council agreed that a local 10% match would make the federal application more competitive; the council designated the downtown TIF district as the source for that match and authorized the manager to apply.
Chief LeJoy told the council that buying a spec ladder truck (one that comes off an assembly line) could save roughly $150,000 versus a custom-built unit; councilors said that potential saving would apply whether the truck is purchased or leased. The council passed both authorizations by roll call.
