(Spencer)– The Spencer city council Monday gave it’s blessings to move to the next step of the fire station expansion project.
The council agreed to allow the architects, FEH Associates, to draft detailed plans and specs necessary to seek construction bids early next year.
The council’s decision followed a lengthy discussion during their Committee of the Whole meeting. City Manager Dean Torreson outlined costs, which now stand at 1.6 million dollar. The city plans to use 300-thousand dollars in cash from the Fire Reserve Fund, with the remaining 1.3 million to come from General Obligation Bonds. Because the expansion will also include a second communications center for the city, Fire Chief Doug Duncan expressed his desire for a backup generator to be included. Duncan says County Emergency Management Coordinator Bryce Denker is looking into the possibility of federal grant money.
In addition, the city’s Public Works Department has agreed to demolish the existing concrete and asphalt flat work at the current site, which will cut about 24-thousand dollars from the project.
The city plans to seek bids on the project in January or February of next year. They’re hopeful construction could start in early spring.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer).
