City, county celebrate public safety projects

FORT MADISON – Friday turned into a day of celebration and collaboration as Fort Madison and Lee County officials joined together for commemorations of new public safety and public works facilities in the city.
The day began with about 70 people at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fort Madison Fire Station that will begin construction this spring on the south side of the 2200 block of Avenue L, just two blocks east of its current location.
Fort Madison Fire Chief Chad Hannum called the moment historic.
“Today marks a very special moment in our time. This is the groundbreaking of our new fire  station,” Hannum said.
“It isn’t just a building we’re breaking ground on, it a symbol of decades of dedication, hard work, and commitment from every firefighter who has ever served this community. And I want to say this not only as your current Fire Chief but also on behalf of former Chief Joey Herren who asked me to share his gratitude and pride with all of you today.”
Hannum recognized the efforts of Lt. John Lang, Engineer Clint Harland, and Engineer Justin Cain who he said put countless hours of their own time into the project.
He said the building is a testament to the work of all the city’s current and past firefighters.
“We’re not just building a station, we’re building the future of fire service in Fort Madison. A station that matches the professionalism of this department, the expectations of our community, and the evolving needs of the job,” Hannum said.
He also thanked the community for believing in the project and standing by them with the support of a $12 million bond to borrow for construction. Estimates for the building after some design changes came in at $5.79 million for the 17,250 square foot structure.
Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld said both Hannum and Herren were instrumental in getting the project to realization.
“It’s really a comment to his leadership and how he put together this team,” Mohrfeld said.
“Chad has taken Joey’s leadership and brought it on to make this project a reality.”
Mohrfeld said Herren told him in a meeting several years back that the city was going to need a new fire station.
“I asked him if we were gonna talk about it, or are we gonna build a new fire station, and that was all it took,” Mohrfeld said.
“This was not something that squeaked by (voters) and we had to do several times. There was a mandate for this.”
Construction is set to begin on the facility in the spring of 2026.

Following the tossing of some dirt with golden shovels, the entourage moved about two blocks southeast to where the foundation has been placed for the city’s new 10,000 square foot public works building. The building is about two blocks west of the Fort Madison School administration offices.
The Mayor said it was exciting to be able to walk over to the public works facility because of the campus feel being created. He said the project has come together nicely after being disjointed to begin with.
“This project, although not as strategic on paper, really started to come together and we had a lot of programs to mesh together, but we’re real proud,” Mohrfeld said.
“In the whole vision of a better Fort Madison, we're repurposing a historic building, we're improving the curb appeal of the neighborhood, and providing efficiencies in the department."
In the early evening, about an hour after the public works building presentation, the county held a grand opening and tour of the newly completed Meller Family Health Center. The new $6.2 million facility houses the Lee County Health Department and the Lee County EMS’ Fort Madison operations.
Supervisor Garry Seyb thanked the family of Glen and Sue Meller for their initial contribution of just under eight acres of land where the former Iowan Motel once stood.
“That was truly the lynchpin,” Seyb said. That’s how we got started. Without the ground and this location we have here, this project, quite frankly, may not have taken off at all, and the Meller family is a huge piece of that. That’s the foundation for us to be able to complete this project.”
Glen’s son Scott said the building will be a legacy not just for the family, but for county public safety, as well.
“How awesome is this? We’re going to have our name on a building forever, and I’m glad that you all now have a permanent home and a good home,” Meller said.
John Kaufman, District Director for Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who couldn’t attend due to a late conflict, said Miller-Meeks was honored to be part of such a beautiful facility.
“The reason she selected it, and you look around this room and what the Meller family has done here. There’s clear community support and a need for it.  (Miller-Meeks) has a great track record being able to get those projects lined up and through Congress,” Kaufman said.
Seyb said he couldn’t overstate the support from the Congresswoman and the $2 million that was obtained for the project.
Mohrfeld again took a chance to thank the Meller family and said it was a great day for Fort Madison.
“Thirty years ago, I had the good fortune of being on the board of health,” he said.
This is the beginning of what we will look back on as Lee County Health 2.0. I’m really looking forward to you thriving in your new home.”
Others making remarks were Roger Ricketts from the North Lee Community Foundation who helped generate close to $700,000 in private funding for the building; Michele Ross, administrator for Lee County Health Department; Mark Long, director of Lee County EMS, and Dan Culp of Carl A. Nelson the project construction manager.