Voters nix extra funds for Island Falls fire station

ISLAND FALLS – Voters refused on Monday evening to give the Board of Selectmen the authority to borrow an additional $100,000 to establish a new fire station.

If the article had been approved, it would have amended an earlier decision made by voters in the spring.

During the annual town meeting in March, voters approved a plan to authorize selectmen to borrow up to $200,000 to complete the work necessary to prepare for and purchase a pre-engineered building to serve as the new fire station. The pre-engineered building will be added onto the existing municipal building.

The current fire station is aging and no longer fits the department’s needs, and the new building will put all of the town’s emergency services under one roof.

When bids were solicited for the project, however, they came back much higher than the approximately $200,000 town officials initially thought it would cost.

Nearly 100 people attended Monday evening’s special meeting. Some attendees tried unsuccessfully to get the meeting postponed for a month, as two selectmen were unable to attend the session. Some said they felt that all of the selectmen should be present for the meeting.

The total cost of the project was a major concern for those who attended the meeting. Several said they felt the $300,000 price tag was too much for taxpayers in the town of approximately 800 people to absorb, and urged town officials to work with those close to the project to get it within the original $200,000 estimate.

The town did not qualify for grant money to finance construction costs.

In the end, the vote was 41-32 against borrowing the additional money.

Town Clerk Cheryl McNally said Tuesday that selectmen and those involved with the initiative will go back to the drawing board to see what they can do to reduce the overall cost of the project to get it within budget.