Rhinelander fire department set for expansion

The Rhinelander Fire Department is headed for a complete makeover.

Chief Terry William’s plan to introduce ambulance service to the city included the renovation and expansion of the department’s existing building to accommodate new vehicles, facility requirements and equipment.

On Monday evening the city’s Finance, Wages and Salary Committee listened to Williams as he broke down the details of the expansion project. According to estimates provided by Stodola-Maas Construction Inc., the project’s total cost should be just over $600,000 for both the design and construction phases. Williams submitted architectural drawings of the expansion/renovation and explained each part of the project in detail to the committee members.

The committee could have voted to approve the estimates and move the project forward, but instead made a motion to table the issue at the recommendation of City Attorney Phil Parkinson. Parkinson raised concerns about the design/build contract drafted by Stodola-Maas.

According to Parkinson, the city has not issued design/build projects in the past, but has bid out the design phases and the construction phases of projects separately.

Parkinson said the contractual issues presented by the design/build contract could be overcome, but he pressed the committee to look into the least expensive way to accomplish its goals before it signed a contract.

City Administrator Bill Bell said he would schedule a special meeting some time before the next scheduled Finance, Wages, and Salary Committee meeting to iron out the contractual issues related to the project.

In general, the committee responded warmly to the project as Williams laid it out and seemed inclined to move the project forward once the legal and contractual issues were solved.

Williams also proposed to the committee that the city could add capitalize on the construction opportunity created by the project by including a plan to enclose the police department’s roofed parking area for an additional $100,000. Police Chief Mike Steffes said the creation of a secure, enclosed vehicle garage would benefit his department by preserving expensive equipment and creating a secure area for evidence.

Williams said he expects to break ground in the middle of May and close the building by the end of summer.

The renovation/expansion of the fire department and the addition of ambulance service will cost the city an estimated $1 million. The city will likely issue a bond for the total amount of the project’s final cost with the intention of paying off the debt over a 10-year period.

Williams said in March that the projected yearly operating cost for the ambulance service was $401,536, compared to $563,355 in projected annual revenue. He believed the city could pay off its debt in seven years.