Council gets first look at new building plans

Stretch it out

We have to figure how far to stretch it out. May not be able to pay for it in 20 years, may have to be 30 years or 40 years to get it where it’s manageable.”

Joey Herren, Fort Madison fire chief

FORT MADISON – Preliminary plans were unveiled Monday night in front of the Fort Madison City Council for new Fort Madison Public Works and Fort Madison Fire Department buildings.
Fort Madison Fire Chief Joey Herren opened plans for the first time in public for a $11.9 million fire station to be located where the current public works building stands on Avenue L. He also rolled out designs for a $14.6 million public works building on ground owned by the city near Rodeo Park.
“In 2022, we hired a firm to put this together and see what our needs are, and then we come to the final product of this first phase of it,” Herren said.
The fire department would be a six-bay building with housing for 10 firefighters. The city has recently purchased two houses near the public works property to secure enough land for the new construction.
The building would have living quarters in the back and public space in the front. It would have administration offices for the fire department. Herren said it would be the city’s central station and there could possibly be smaller fire houses on the edge of town as it grows.
The two buildings would cost the city nearly $26 million and Herren said there would very likely be a bond to cover the cost of the construction.
“I know it’s a scary number, but we’re going to have to do it sooner or later,” Herren said.
Two city councilmembers have toured the current facility.
“It’s very eye-opening,” said Councilwoman Angela Roller.
Herren said the building wasn’t going to be cheap and he understood that.
“We’re going to have to sit down and look at how we’re going to pay for it,” Herren said.
Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld said the city will obviously look for any grants that might be available, but he cautioned that a good-size bond will likely be required to get the construction done.
“Even if they find some money, there’s going to be a substantial bond,” Mohrfeld said.
Herren said the city may have to look beyond the typical 10-18 year bond to be able to afford the new structures.
“We have to figure how far to stretch it out. May not be able to pay for it in 20 years, may have to be 30 years or 40 years to get it where it’s manageable,” Herren said. “We may have to spread that cost out.”
He said both buildings are in very bad repair, and probably they are both at end-of-life.
One resident at the meeting said the large public works building will take up a lot of open space where deer roam and wildlife play near Rodeo Park. Herren said he realized that, but said the city owns the property where the public works building will be expanded, so they won’t have to buy land for the new construction.
The Parks building already has a building back there so Herren said the city will be expanding that property. He said the city has been pushing these projects for years.
“We’re going to have to do it sooner or later. We can’t just keep kicking this can down the road. “We tried to do this 10 years or 15 years ago and it was $4 million,” Herren said.
Mohrfeld recommended that the city council vote to keep moving forward on the project. He said Herren has been telling him the city keeps pushing the project off.
“I said, 'Well, Joey, quit kicking the can. You got something you want to say, stand up and say it',” Mohrfeld said. “I said if you don’t put something in front of us, we have nothing to react to.”
Mohrfeld said the process hasn’t been a quick one and applauded the effort to set up some public meetings to get comments back on the projects.
Roller said everyone did a good job at the fire station explaining what the issues with the structure were and what the needs were.
“I think if the public sees it to, they’ll be on board with it,” she said.
In other action, the council:
• held a closed session to negotiate a land purchase agreement. Action was taken out of the meeting to continue negotiations with the respective property owner.
•voted 6-0 to approve applying for a REAP grant from the Department of Natural Resources to help fund Phase IV of the P.O.R.T trail.