Middletown’s new fire stations still a go despite need for more money

But since then, due to escalating construction and material costs, the projected price tag is $9.8 million over earlier estimates, using worst-case scenarios, according to city leaders. Now the city needs to find the additional funds.

After the last City Council meeting, members asked staff to consider whether it was more financially responsible to build fewer than four fire stations or renovate them.

The ballot language said the city would use the bonds for the purpose of “constructing fire facilities; furnishing and equipping the same; improving the sites thereof; and acquiring interests in land as necessary in connection therewith, in the principal amount of $16,800,000, to be repaid annually over a maximum period of 30 years,” according to the Butler County Board of Elections.

While the language never mentioned four fire stations, that was the number frequently discussed by city officials, fire officials and City Council members.

City Manager Paul Lolli, a former fire chief, wrote in an email to council members last week that fire administration and city staff said building three fire stations and remodeling headquarters would be “a bad decision” because the city would be “throwing money away for no real long-term advantage.”

He said a better option may be to build three fire stations and leave Station 81 at it is by the Post Office. That would save about $5.1 million, Lolli wrote.

The city also could use $4.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, according to Lolli. Ironically, when Jim Palenick was city manager, he frequently said the city couldn’t use ARPA money on the fire stations.

The savings of $5.1 million and the ARPA funds would reduce the cost of the fire stations to $16.8 million, Lolli wrote.

Tim Bement, from App Architecture, the company overseeing the project, said based on 2010 projections and using current costs, renovating the fire stations with required improvements, would cost more than building new stations.

Estimates from 13 years ago said upgrading the stations would cost $10.6 million to $11.9 million. Those same costs are between $26.5 million to $29.75 million today, according to Bement’s presentation.

There also has been discussion about delaying the construction of at least one station. Bement said the cost of construction continues to rise. In 2006, it cost $150 a square foot for fire station construction. That price rose to $185 in 2011, $258 in 2018 and $410 this year, he said.

In 17 years, the price has increased 273%, he said.

Council member Rodney Muterspaw said the city “sold this levy” to residents with the intent to build four fire stations.

“I don’t want to go against what people voted for,” he said. “We owe the community the four fire stations.”

While Muterspaw said being nearly $10 million over estimates was “insane,” he said “we got to find it.”

Mayor Nicole Condrey said she has gone “back and forth” on the issue.

“It’s a tough decision,” Condrey said.

Lolli said City Council will receive legislation at its next meeting on Aug. 1.

ESTIMATED COSTS

SOURCE: City of Middletown/App Architecture