Hartford council approves amended plan for second firehouse at reduced $3 million city cost

The Hartford Common Council voted 8-1 on May 12 to amend the 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan and approve construction of a second firehouse with a $3 million city cost allocation.

City Administrator Steve Volkert reviewed the project's history, noting that the council had unanimously approved the CIP, including a $4.9 million firehouse, on Aug. 26, 2025, and that the council later voted 6-3 on April 14, 2026 to overturn that authorization. Volkert said the Department of Administration informed staff on April 24, 2026 that the Fire Department would receive an $800,000 state grant and that proceeds from the sale of engine 1660, together with a county grant, would reduce the city's net cost by “over one million dollars.”

"As early as 2025 it was noticed that expenses were coming in over the city’s non-taxed revenues," Volkert told the council as he reviewed financing options and the project's recent history. He urged members to consider the updated funding picture when deciding whether to move forward.

Alderperson Turchi moved to amend the CIP to approve the second firehouse at a $3 million city cost, accepting state and county grant funding and removing the training tower from the project; Alderperson Webb seconded the motion. The motion carried 8-1.

The council did not record additional details in the transcript about project timeline, contractor selection, or construction start dates. The action authorizes the revised funding allocation and removal of the training tower from the currently proposed scope; other approvals and procurement steps are expected to follow according to standard capital-project practice.

The council's next procedural step on the item was the recorded vote on the amendment; no further project schedule or contractor information was included in the meeting record.