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Ramsey council introduces $15.05 million bond ordinance to fund new fire-rescue and OEM complex
Summary
The borough introduced a bond ordinance to finance a new fire department, rescue squad and Office of Emergency Management complex on South Island Avenue; the council described a $720,000 down payment and a plan to match borrowing to construction cash flow.
The Borough of Ramsey on July 22 introduced a bond ordinance to fund construction of a new fire department, rescue squad and Office of Emergency Management complex on South Island Avenue. The ordinance would appropriate $15,050,000 for the project and was read for first consideration, with a second reading scheduled in August.
The borough administrator told the council the ordinance authorizes a $15,050,000 maximum appropriation but that the borough does not intend to borrow the entire amount at once. "The borough will match its borrowing over the construction period to the schedule values and timing of contract payments over the anticipated 18-month construction timeline," the administrator said. The borough will also make a $720,000 down payment from its capital improvement fund to reduce the future borrowing requirement.
Council members said the project has been refined over several years to reduce cost impacts on taxpayers. Councilman Kilman commended the local design committee for using value-engineering and design changes to cut what he estimated were multimillion-dollar cost increases without sacrificing necessary functionality. "They took the initial design and cut potentially $7 to $8 million off it to save our taxpayers," Kilman said.
During construction, officials said, the fire department and rescue squad will operate from a temporary station at the West Side garage adjacent to the Department of Public Works. The borough is also constructing a prefabricated garage behind the DPW to house apparatus and equipment during the build; funding for that temporary building is already in place.
The council set public bidding for the construction in motion: staff said the borough plans to advertise the public bid in the coming weeks, allow about 30 days for bids, then review submissions for technical and legal compliance before a contract award by resolution at a later meeting.
The administrator said the funding authorization through the bond ordinance is a preliminary step and that contract awards and specific borrowing decisions will follow the bidding and review process. The ordinance was introduced and will be considered for final passage at the council's next regular meeting.
