County council signed off on a new fire hall for the Sturgeon Valley region this week, but not before its price tag sparked some hot debate.
Council voted 6-1 in favour of borrowing $5.5 million to move and rebuild the Namao fire hall Tuesday, and 5-2 in favour of awarding the $4,886,880 construction contract to build it to PCL Construction.
Coun. Wayne Bokenfohr opposed the first motion and was joined by Coun. Patrick Tighe to oppose the second.
The new fire hall is meant to replace the current one in Namao, which has crumbling floors and bulging walls, a report to council suggests.
The new hall won't be in Namao, though. Instead, it's set to be built on a site near Range Road 252 and Highway 37 in the Sturgeon Valley. A 2009 fire protection study by the county recommended that a station be built there to account for future population growth.
Bokenfohr took issue with the site, arguing that the station should instead be built on the Milestone site near Range Road 253 and Highway 37.
"We're building on a site that has no water and has no pavement," he said, and council hasn't warned people in places like Namao of how this move could affect their insurance rates.
"There's been no process that's engaged all the community."
Tighe took issue with the cost, noting that a similar structure had been built in Bruderheim back in 2012 for just $2 million. The county could also save money if it delays this project until falling oil prices lower construction costs.
"I feel a little frustrated that this has been the only option for us."
Price tag tweaked
Coun. Ferd Caron said any delays on this project would be a mistake given the great age of the Namao hall.
"It's pretty much required at this time."
County fire chief Pat Mahoney said that council had considered and rejected the Milestone site as the province had big plans for the nearby intersection with Highway 37 – plans that would make it cumbersome for fire trucks to head south from the site.
County residents will still have full fire coverage once the hall moves as staffers will tweak the coverage areas of the other stations, he continued – Bon Accord would cover Namao, for example.
It's too soon to say if this move will affect insurance rates, he added.
"There's so many tangibles when it comes to home insurance," he said, and distance to a station is just one of them. The county will advise all residents to contact their insurance companies for the implications.
Mahoney told council that the Bruderheim hall was smaller than the one proposed here and had financial support from Strathcona County.
The market has also changed since 2012, added Ian McKay, the county's manager of municipal services.
"If you wanted a $2 million building, we would have to start cutting."
Coun. Jerry Kaup said the county would have to demolish existing structures if it went with the Milestone site. The valley site would also put county firefighters within range of St. Albert should the two communities ever sign a joint fire service agreement.
"We have to get on with it."
Mayor Tom Flynn said council has already spent considerable time on this issue, and that the new hall could hook into the local water line at a later date.
And we can't expect to get 2012 prices in 2015, said Coun. Karen Shaw.
"We are at the mercy of the markets."
Kaup convinced the rest of council (save for Bokenfohr) to cut plans for a paved parking lot at the new hall, trimming $140,000 off the construction contract.
The new hall will have four drive-through bays, offices, a training room, and storage space for hoses and equipment, Mahoney. All county fire, peace and animal control officers will be based out of the station.
"It's not a Rolls-Royce fire hall," he said, and it's meant to improve service throughout the county for the next 35 years.
Mahoney hoped to break ground on the new hall this spring and to have it open by November. The fate of the Namao hall has yet to be determined.
