Alna Facilities Planning CommitteeBack to Meeting & Minutes Page Date: July 30,2007 Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Location: Alna Firehouse Meeting Minutes:
Alna Facilities Planning Committee Meeting
July 30th, 2007, held at the Firehouse at 7 p.m.
Present: Tom Albee (TA), Gordon Davis (GD), John Green (JG), Fred Gumkowski (FG), Kathy Pendleton (KP), Cliff Russell (CR)
Absent: Nick Caristo (NC)
Also Present: Mike Trask, Roger Whitney and Jonathan Villeneuve
The meeting was devoted to discussion and amendment of a draft “Commentary” on the Firehouse Construction Project that will be on the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting of August 8th. The draft was prepared by NC and JG and is intended for publication in the Lincoln County and Wiscasset newspapers before the date of the meeting. The broad goals of most of the suggested changes were: to reinforce the draft’s message of committee neutrality on the project question, to provide historical background on the project, and to try to anticipate questions that might be addressed to the committee at the Meeting. It was decided that NC and JG would act as spokesmen for the committee in the context of the project question, before, during and after the Meeting.
The liveliest discussion was produced by the question of whether the committee will have a role to play if the Meeting votes to authorize and fund the proposed new firehouse. The consensus that developed was that the remaining questions involving the town office and meeting space would still be unresolved in the event of a yes vote and will require some immediate analysis if decisions are to be reached in time to play a part in the final design of the new building.
The final version of the “Commentary” is attached to these minutes.
The committee decided to meet again on Monday, the 20th of August, at 7 p.m. in the (existing) Firehouse.
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ALNA BUILDING COMMITTEE COMMENTARY
Not that long ago the Alna Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) operated out of a two bay garage across from the current Post Office. Town Office and Town Meeting functions took place in the 19th century former Puddle Dock Schoolhouse. That was 25 years ago - Austin Trask was fire chief, Chris Cooper was First selectman, Connie Hayward was Town Clerk and Allan Jewett was Town meeting moderator.
A lot has changed during 25 years. In 1983 the AVFD built, with sweat equity and about $14,000 of taxpayer’s money, the current firehouse. Three fire trucks and equipment are housed downstairs and Town meetings, elections and bean suppers are held upstairs. In 1997 the town purchased 12 acres of land across from the firehouse and at a cost of $125,000 renovated the property’s existing farmhouse into a Town office.
As time went by new fire fighting equipment was purchased and mandated requirements resulted in inadequate AVFD space. In June 2005 the Town took the first step to address that issue by approving $15,000 for foundation work for an addition to the current fire house. In the spring of 2006 knowing of the expansion and also aware of Town office deficiencies, a group of citizens asked the Alna selectmen to establish an advisory committee to study Town building options. A committee was established chaired by Fred Bowers and including Tom Albee, Jeff Averill, Hardy Banfield, Ralph Hilton, Kathy Pendleton and Mike Trask. Firehouse and Town office space, functional and regulatory deficiencies were identified and four comprehensive options were developed. A fifth non-comprehensive option only to upgrade the buildings to current codes was also developed. The committee’s recommended solution, reported at this years’ Town Meeting, was to construct a new multipurpose building to house AVFD and Town office functions and sell the two existing structures at a net cost of about $366,500. The Bower’s committee also recommended $7,500 for professional services to develop preliminary plans for the multipurpose building, the first step in the construction process. A clear degree of hesitancy was evident at the meeting to start that process without a study of fire department and municipal needs, longer term analysis of option costs and the opportunity to further inform residents on a potentially divisive issue. The recommendation was amended and instead directed the selectmen to further consider options for housing town services.
In early June the selectmen established a new advisory committee to continue the efforts of the Bower’s committee. We are that committee. First and foremost we thank the Bower’s committee for their outstanding work starting the process to determine what’s in the best interest of the town. We’re committed to continuing their efforts, along with integrating the work of the fire department. It’s our intent to have warrant articles ready for the March 2008 Town meeting that address one, or more, comprehensive solution(s) to AVFD and municipal space and functional needs.
Communication is the first goal of the committee. The committee’s charter and meeting minutes have been posted at the Town Hall, Alna Store and Post Office and also sent out by email to Alna citizens. We’re committed to keep citizens abreast of all our actions and we will have periodic presentations through the fall, winter and spring.
We also wish to comment on the AVFD’s proposal of a stand alone fire house to be voted on August 8. As a committee we’ve decided to neither endorse, nor oppose, that proposal. The proposal may be the right solution for the town, or it may not be, but until we’ve completed our deliberations we don’t know. The AVFD’s proposal is in the best interest of the fire department while our charter is to find the best solution for the town.
It’s very important to compare all options over a period of twenty years, including maintenance and energy costs. Our intention is to identify specific criteria that establish an objective need basis for any new structure, or modifications to current structures. If the existing fire house is sold in the future, as the fire department has recommended in their proposal, the town would require a new meeting location for town meetings.
We also intend to spend significant time assessing potential methods to reduce over all costs. Cost reductions to be pursued include determining the most desirable financing, investigating available building grants and sources of income. Other than Somerville, Alna has the lowest tax base in Lincoln County. Contemplating a structure similar to those in surrounding towns, where their tax base is two, or more, times greater than ours, without looking at all cost reduction options would be fiscally unsound.
The AVFD’s building proposal information sheet says that costs are rapidly increasing and a delay of a year would increase costs by about $75,000. That amounts to a 15% increase of the project’s $489,000 estimate. Based on Associated General Contractor of America economist Ken Simonson’s March 2007 construction inflation analysis, we expect no more than a 6% increase in costs over that period.
Alna citizens have an important decision to make at the August 8 special town meeting. The proposal to build a stand alone Fire House for approximately $489,000 is a defining moment for the town, and it symbolizes how things have changed over the last 25 years. A yes vote would allow the town to commence a major building project and a no vote would allow the Alna Building Committee to complete their comprehensive assessment. Give the issue due consideration and please make every effort to attend the 6:30 PM meeting at the Fire House on Rt 218.
Committee members are Tom Albee, Nick Caristo, Gordon Davis, John Green, Fred Gumkowski, Brian Lawrence, Kathy Pendleton, and Cliff Russell
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