Completion of new fire station put on hold

The east side fire station is nearly completed, but a contract change order is needed for the city to get more use out of the facility, Interim City Manager Bob Farmer said.

He presented the Fort Scott City Commission Tuesday with the change order totaling $63,682. The change will allow the city to finish the upstairs of the fire station with a sprinkler system. The upstairs area will be used as a training room for public safety employees, Farmer said.

"We want to use this station as much as we can," Farmer told commissioners.

Commissioner Jim Adams moved to hold off on approving the change order until he has more time to look over the information and possibly conduct a work session to further discuss the issue. "I don't have near enough information," Adams said.

The commission may tour the building to see exactly what the change order will do.

Other changes to the structure will also allow the city to relocate the 911 call center to the facility, making the fire station a 24-hour facility, Farmer said.

The fire station, located at the corner of Franklin and First streets, will provide protection to east side residents in case of emergencies. Construction started last year.

The city received a grant to partially pay for the construction. The grant is nearly closed out, so the city needs to move as soon as possible if the change order is to be approved.

There's enough money left in the grant's budget to cover the change order, Farmer said.

Commissioners also considered the following items at Tuesday's meeting:

* Approved a contract between the city and Mercy Health System of Kansas to provide ambulance services in Bourbon County. The contract is nothing new; it's a continuation of the existing agreement between the two entities. City staff recommended approval. According to the contract, Mercy agrees to pay the fire department $1,500 per month to provide ambulance services. Additionally, for each ambulance run exceeding six per month, Mercy will agree to pay the fire department $75 per run.

* Approved two certificates of appropriateness for two downtown businesses located in the historic district. The NuGrille Restaurant, 24 N. National Ave., has plans to expand, and The Sutler of Fort Scott, 106 E. Old Fort Blvd., will repaint its front.

* Approved a $9,681 bid from Mayco Ace Hardware to purchase paper products. It wasn't the lowest bid, but commissioners wanted to go with the local bidder. Also, they approved a $440 bid from Mayco for cleaning supplies. Again, it wasn't the lowest bid but it was the only local bid.

* Authorized a request from the SEK Multi-County Health Department to conduct a mass dispensing exercise that will emphasize security. The health department will need to make traffic flow one-way up to 12th Street and exit down 10th Street toward the west to Margrave Street. They will need the Public Works Department to erect barricades on the streets, and the commission's approval was needed..

* Gave $1,000 to the Fort Scott High School Band toward its trip to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend. The band is traveling to the "windy city" to perform as part of the 2008 Chicago Music Festival Tour. The funds from the city were enough for them to reach their goal, FSHS band director James Fox said. They have raised, through various fundraisers, more than $40,000.