The Saco City Council will consider on December 14 a special election for construction of a new Central Fire Station on the city owned North Street site purchased for the project in 1998.

In July the department applied unsuccessfully for a federal grant as part of the economic stimulus program. The department is asking the Council for authorization to ask the citizens for their support in a February bond referendum. The bond would provide nearly $6 million, which would be repaid using revenue generated by the Rescue Division (ambulance fees). No property tax increase is needed to fund this project.

WHY NOW
The decision to seek a February election was based on the opportunity to reduce the cost of the building and to save taxpayers money. Construction and bonding costs are both very low right now.

If the Council approves, the special election scheduled for Feb 9, 2010 poses several challenges for the fire department to overcome. The city charter requires at least 20% of voters in the last mayoral election to cast ballots. That means the department needs at least 1303 citizens to vote to validate the election. The department has concerns about bad weather on February 9th making it hard for people to get to the polls and hard to achieve the required minimum number of voters.

However, voters will have the opportunity to vote absentee in person at the City Clerk's Office during normal business hours. There will also be extended hours on two Saturdays, January 30th 9-11am and February 6th 9-11 am, as well as on Thursday, February 4th 5-7 pm. Absentee ballot requests may also be downloaded from the city website or call 284-4831 and request an absentee ballot.

WHY DO WE NEED A NEW STATION?
The current Central Station is located on a previous fire station site dating back to 1871. It was a good place for horse drawn apparatus in Saco's busy downtown.

The list of deficiencies with the current fire station is long. The doors and bays are too small for modern fire apparatus. The station lacks the required separation from the apparatus parking area and the working, eating, and living spaces. The electrical system is under-sized and inadequate. The plumbing fixtures are inadequate and dated. The masonry construction is failing. The building which was designed to house apparatus built in the 1930's is too small to house the fire apparatus of the 21st century. The current Central Fire Station has outlived its useful life.

The identified need for a new Central Station dates back four administrations beginning with Chief Pendleton in the 1970s. Former chiefs Larry Smith and Alton Meserve spent much energy trying to make the outgrown station meet the needs of the department. The members of the department are proud of the station built in 1938 and most of the work performed to extend the life of the old station was performed by the men themselves. The original plans for a Public Safety Complex on Storer Street in 1997 were changed when it was determined the site was too small to house both the Police and Fire Departments.

NEW FACILITY
The fire department is proposing constructing a new facility with a 70 year life span and has taken every cost saving consideration into account. The department incorporated all energy efficiencies economically feasible into the design. The plans are designed toward Silver LEED certification and include natural lighting, solar domestic hot water, and a geothermal heating system as well as increasing the R-Value and reducing the Carbon Footprint. The new facility addresses every one of our concerns with the existing building and provides for anticipated future growth.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 282-3244 or amurphy@sacomaine.org. The department is hopeful the citizens will show their support for the department and approve the station bond referendum.