- By Dan Veaner
- Around Town
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The question was whether an addition is a smaller project or a major renovation. "It depends on what you do," said District Treasurer George Gesslein. Purcell said that a second floor with new bunking facilities are among items being considered. "If we're going to do it," he said, "let's do it right so it will last for the next 25 years." Gesslein said that a project of that scale makes it a major capital expenditure that must be part of the District's capital plan. "I think it's worthwhile sitting down and figuring out where you're going,"Gesslein said. "But it needs to be part of the capital plan."
The capital plan takes the long view of any equipment or property the District needs to conduct its business. "It's all the major expenses that we look at for the next 20 years," says Gesslein. "All truck replacements, communications upgrades, building upgrades... anything that's a major expense."
Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners Bob Wagner said, "Let's figure out what we need." He suggested forming a committee to evaluate what improvements would satisfy present and future needs that are not currently met by the building. Purcell said he would pull together a committee and that they could have a preliminary list fairly quickly.
Meanwhile District Secretary Alvin Parker moved that the Commissioners authorize up to $1,000 to get an architect's advice on the project. He said an architect could give answers as to costs and solutions to needs of the District.
But Gesslein expressed concerns that if the district spends $1 million or so on a Central Station renovation too close to building the new Village firehouse that voters won't accept it. Last March the District's auditor reported that it has been fiscally responsible in its spending and accounting. At that time Gesslein noted that about $1 million was in reserve to offset the price of the new firehouse, estimated to cost $2 million. "We're doing it so it will have limited impact on the taxpayers," he said. "If you just gradually accumulate it, it doesn't hit anybody too hard in their pocket book."
But at Tuesday's meeting he was concerned that another major project would be too much. "The reality is that you really can't do those back to back," he said. But he took a 'wait and see' attitude to give Purcell a chance to come up with a specific list of needs so that it can be weaved into the capital plan.
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