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Board directs cost-estimate work as debate continues over new fire station
Summary
Trustees agreed to circulate existing station drawings and to have a consultant produce a hard cost estimate so the board can evaluate whether to expand the current facility or build a new fire station; discussion referenced prior sketches and a range of possible costs from $2.5M historically to several million today.
Trustees spent a prolonged discussion weighing options for meeting the fire department’s space needs and whether to add to the existing community center or build a new station. The board agreed that the next step is to circulate existing drawings and obtain a firm cost estimate from a vendor or consultant so financing options can be evaluated.
The chair (S2) asked for a formal step to get “a good hard estimate” for the drawings so staff could pursue bids and financing; multiple trustees urged that materials be re-forwarded to all board members ahead of a special meeting. One trustee referenced historical sketch drawings that were sized to meet future needs but warned that construction costs have risen substantially since those drawings were produced.
Trustees and staff discussed financing routes, including bank loans, USDA 30-year loans and municipal bonds; a trustee noted the village’s bond will be paid off next year, which may free capacity for borrowing. The board agreed to schedule a focused meeting to review the estimates and financing options and asked staff to circulate the schematic drawings before that meeting.
No binding decision to build or expand was made; the board instead authorized the next-step work to obtain cost estimates and mobilize a committee discussion on siting and budget assumptions.
