City authorizes space study
Board declines to hire outside agency
By Scott Rochat
Thursday, September 28, 2006
The Emporia Fire Department will conduct its own space needs study rather than call in outside experts.
The city had set aside $7,000 for a consultant to study the conditions of both fire stations. But on Wednesday, Emporia city commissioners suggested that now might not be the time to spend that money.
“It may be something that needs to be done, but I don’t know if it’s something we can do because of the budget situation,” Commissioner Ray Toso said. “We just spent $27,000 on a consultant to find a new city manager and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t in the budget. ... I just don’t know if, timing-wise, this is a good time for the study.”
The fire department has wanted a study for some time. Conditions are crowded for both firefighters and their vehicles in the two stations, with one truck sometimes having to pull out so another can leave the garage. In addition, Fire Station No. 2 has had a number of physical problems, including a shifting wall and a roof that has had to be patched every year.
Fire Chief Jack Taylor said the department does some maintenance work on the building, but the more expensive items have often been postponed until the city decides what it wants to do with the building.
Several commissioners agreed that the maintenance had to be kept up. Meanwhile, Commissioner Tom Myers suggested that the space needs study could be done in-house.
“Maybe I’m naive, but it doesn’t sound like rocket science,” Myers said. “Am I missing something?”
“I can certainly give you the fire department’s assessment of what our space needs are,” Taylor said. “Whether it gives additional credibility to have an outside consultant do it, I don’t know.”
The commission asked the department to have at least a preliminary report ready before the next study session in two weeks.
“I would like to see some tiered evaluations,” Myers said. “What is the Mercedes option, what is the Cadillac and what is the Chevy?”
“It sounds like all the information is there,” said City Commissioner Bobbie Agler. “It’s just a matter of assimilating it.”
In other action:
F The commission approved an expense cap of $8,500 for Waters-Oldani, the search firm hired to help Emporia find a new city manager. That does not include the cost of bringing the finalists to Emporia, which is paid by the city.
F Commissioners discussed water rates and whether to raise them. Although other utilities have gone up, the last water rate increase came 6 1/2 years ago.