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Maumelle leaders outline multi-year plan for Fire Station 3; bond capacity, staffing and donated land cited
Summary
City officials said a third fire station is planned for the White Oak Crossing area but is likely 3–5 years away pending bond capacity; officials expect donated land, cited ISO-rating benefits, and cautioned the major ongoing cost will be additional firefighter staffing rather than construction alone.
Maumelle officials described Fire Station 3 as a strategic, multi-year project rather than an immediate build. The station is intended to close coverage gaps in the growing White Oak Crossing area and reduce dependence on automatic aid from neighboring departments.
Chief Bo Buford said the station would improve response times and could be designed with two apparatus bays, capacity for two trucks and housing space for up to six on-site bedrooms. "At minimum the station would have two bays with the ability of two trucks and six bedrooms," Chief Buford said, noting full staffing would require adding multiple firefighters and is the largest recurring expense.
Mayor Caleb Norris described the timing as linked to the city's debt capacity. He said the city expects to have additional debt room in about five years when franchise-fee-backed bonds issued in 2019 are paid off, freeing roughly $550,000 a year in revenue the city could use for new debt service. "I want to say it's about a half million dollars a year—$550,000 right around there," Norris said when describing the payoff timeline and available capacity.
Officials said they have not budgeted to buy land because property owners have offered to donate sites in the general vicinity; before accepting donations the city will perform soil and phase-one/phase-two testing to avoid floodplains and high fill costs. They also discussed the potential for interlocal agreements with North Little Rock to share staffing or costs but said any formal cost-sharing would require negotiations and explicit agreements.
Officials emphasized Fire Station 3 will be planned with an eye to future annexation patterns and development, and that the project is intended to support economic development by signaling a commitment to public safety. No construction schedule or final budget was presented during the session.
