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Residents urge council to delay Facilities Master Plan amendment, warn of ballot pressure and higher costs if a fire station is added
Summary
During public comment residents urged the council not to initiate the amendment while a ballot initiative is pending and warned the CAC concept including a fire station could carry large capital and ongoing costs; council acknowledged concerns but proceeded with the initiation vote.
Two residents spoke during public comment on the Facilities Master Plan item, urging caution before the council directed staff to prepare an amendment.
Mike Rosenbaum (14 Madrone Avenue) told the council he opposed initiating the amendment while a ballot initiative from the Friends of the Ross Firehouse remains active. "I would like to ask the council not to approve this initiation of an amendment. I hate having a gun held to my head during a negotiation," he said, urging the council to delay until the ballot issue is resolved.
An online commenter identified by staff as David Peterson questioned how the town would budget for adding a fire station, warning of large capital and ongoing costs if the CAC concept includes apparatus and equipment. Peterson said the change "is gonna require 1000000 and 0.5 plus capital investment in equipment and hoses and whatever and a ongoing forever 3.5 to $4,000,000 cost." Those figures were offered as an opinion in public comment and were not verified during the meeting; staff and council repeatedly noted that the resolution before the council only initiates an amendment and that detailed cost estimates will be developed by the retained consultant before any final decisions.
The council took the public comments into account but adopted the initiation resolution after adding requirements for housing compliance language and an expedited technical and cost analysis.
