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Council presses appraisal progress on firehouse, discusses hydrant repairs and a new substation to improve ISO rating
Summary
Council members said appraisals for the firehouse property are pending and noted the town needs appraisals before deciding to buy or sell; the fire department urged quicker repair of damaged hydrants and proposed a substation to improve the community's ISO rating and response times.
David told the council that appraisals for a local firehouse property are in progress and urged the town to conclude the process so the council can decide whether to buy the property or list it for sale. "We've lit a fire under him," David said of an appraiser, referring to Marvin Schmidt; council members said two appraisals are needed before offers or listings can proceed.
A fire department representative said hydrant reliability and water supply are central to response capability and insurance ratings. "A big part of that, probably 40% of that ISO rating is water supply," the representative said, urging the council to repair damaged or stuck hydrants and to provide a timeline and tagged list of hydrants that are out of service.
Council members acknowledged long-running delays on the firehouse matter and that limited appraiser availability has slowed progress. They also discussed planning for one hydrant installation per year as funds allow, listing priority locations such as near Dollar General and the 211 Food Mart. The council asked staff to follow up with appraisers and return with timelines and cost estimates and agreed to prioritize hydrant repairs as part of broader public-safety improvements.
No formal sale or purchase decision was made; the council said it will resume the matter once appraisals are complete and requested a timeline for hydrant repairs and a plan for a potential substation to support firefighting operations.
