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Resident presents petition opposing proposed Ellis EMS/Fire station; commissioners say design and cost not finalized
Summary
A resident brought a petition of over 300 signatures opposing a proposed combined EMS/Fire station in Ellis and questioned the project's cost and necessity; commissioners and staff said designs and cost analyses are not finalized and the bond would not raise taxes.
At the public-comment portion of the July 7 meeting, Ellen Riedel presented a petition of more than 300 signatures opposing a proposed combined EMS/Fire station in Ellis. Riedel criticized the county’s maintenance of the current building and argued a new facility could be built for a fraction of the cited $3.5 million, saying it would be an "abuse of authority" to spend that amount. She urged the commission to consider lower-cost options and improvements to local pump stations for fire suppression.
Commissioners responded that no design has been completed and that final costs will depend on the outcome of design-build and needs analysis; Commissioner Berges said the current building is leased and not county-owned and that the county has been clear it will not raise taxes to pay bond costs. County Administrator Darin Myers noted that cost needs analysis and design-build details remain to be determined. No formal vote on the project occurred at the meeting.
