By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
SUAMICO – With the new Fire Station No. 1 “99.99% complete,” Village Administrator Alex Kaker provided the Suamico Village Board with a project cost summary Oct. 18.
Kaker said the final project budget of around $6.559 million had actual expenses of approximately $6.467 million.
However, when factoring in cash donations, he said the actual expenses came to rounghly $6.376 million, which brings the project in at approximately $182,000 under budget.
Kaker said the project was funded using general obligation bonding of around $5.8 million, $329,026 in debt stabilization funding, $147,701 from the 2020 general fund levy, $104,077 from the stadium district fund and cash donations totaling more than $90,000.
Because $300,000 of the 2020 general fund levy was assigned to the project, he said more than $152,000 of unused funds can be applied to the 2022 budget or future capital projects.
Kaker said building the new fire station also resulted in:
• Selling the old Fire Station No. 1 for approximately $325,000 in revenue after closing costs.
• Anticipated annual tax revenue for the village of $1,860 from the old station parcel, now the site of the Station 1 Brewing Company, based on the new value of the property being $500,000 and now subject to property taxes.
• Anticipated annual tax revenue for the village of more than $3,500 from the former County Rescue parcel, which was purchased for use as a used car dealership, based on the property selling for $962,000 and now being taxable.
• Annual rent payments of $35,000 for the next 15 years from County Rescue, which is leasing space in the new fire station.
• A 15-year contract with County Rescue to freeze annual payments at $70,000 for providing emergency medical services in Suamico.
Village President Sky Van Rossum said the contract with County Rescue will save the village slightly more than $30,000, when factoring in what inflationary costs could be over the 15-year period.
Van Rossum said the sale of the two parcels formerly used by the Fire Department and County Rescue will also bring in additional property tax revenue.
“As a whole, there’s a savings on here of $652,000, which if you look at the total cost of this and take all of those costs into account, you’re really coming down to $5,906,000 for this fire station with all of the additions that we have,” he said. “That’s an amazing success.”
In response to Trustee Michelle Eckert stating too much was spent on the new fire station, Van Rossum said the village “really got a deal.”
“I think it’s been put together well, and I hope it lasts 100 years,” he said.
Trustee Dan Roddan thanked village staff involved in the project.
“It’s been a great outcome – nothing but compliments on our new fire station,” he said. “Were $182,000 or $183,000 under budget. You don’t hear that very often, especially not in government.”
The new Fire Station No. 1 opened this spring on a 1.9-acre site at the intersection of West Deerfield Lane and Riverside Drive.
The building has more than 20,000 square feet with two stories and six apparatus bays.