New facilities on the horizon for Marion Fire, Police departments

New facilities on the horizon for Marion Fire, Police departments

Evidence storage, fire station included in plans for bond money

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion is moving forward with design plans for a new evidence storage shed for the police department and plans to either build a new fire station No. 1 or enlarge the existing building.

The Police and Fire Committee heard from Police Chief Gary Kelley and Fire Chief Woody Wheeless about what they will need and ideas on how to move forward with the projects.

Both projects were part of a $16 million bond issue approved by voters in March to re-finance older bonds for a new round of capital improvement projects. The bond includes $635,000 for the Police Department evidence storage shed and $2.385 million for the Fire Department for fire station No. 1.

Kelley said the current evidence storage room at the department is full of old case files, various items of physical evidence, and file cabinets which they are required to keep by law.

“We still have evidence from a shooting in the 1980s,” Kelley said. “We get them (prosecutors and attorneys) calling us on older felonies all the time.

And we have to pull those files and validate them.

And the state comes down and audits us once a year.”

The city can either build a new storage shed behind the police department or across the street next to the city shop where the city owns several lots. Kelley said there is already

an existing 40 foot by

50 foot concrete slab behind police headquarters which could be used.

Mayor Frank Fogleman asked Kelley if that would be big enough to accommodate what they need.

“Will that give you what you need, because we have property behind there?”

Fogleman said.

“I would think so,” Kelley responded.

Councilman Kelley O’Neal, who chairs the police and fire committee, asked about the property across the street.

“If we go across the street, that would give us four lots in a row,” O’Neal said.

Chief Kelley initially said a metal building would be adequate for their needs, but suggested adding brick after Fogleman inquired whether it could some day be used by police personnel.

“Is it possible it will ever be occupied?” Fogleman asked.

“It could possibly,” Kelley answered.

“Then a metal building might not be what we want,” Fogleman added.

Kelley said he would get cost estimates for both a metal building and a brick one.

“Let’s look at the two avenues and see where we are at,” Kelley said.

Fogleman said the city could go ahead and advertise for qualifications and pick an architect to work with.

“I prefer we go the designbuild route,” Fogleman said. “I wasn’t a fan of picking someone and having them design it. Fire station No. 3 ate our lunch. I think we can control the costs better. The police station worked out well.”

Fogleman said he has no preference where the shed is built.

“Beyond that, I have no preconceived ideas,” Fogleman said. “If you it on the slab, that’s fine. If somebody is going to be there in the future, it might be better to be close.”

The committee also got a first look at a sketch by Wheeless to retrofit Fire Station No. 1.

The current station isn’t big enough to accommodate a ladder truck. The ladder truck is currently being housed at Station No. 3.

Wheeless said he hasn’t decided yet whether it makes better sense to add on to the station, or build a new fire station west of the interstate highway near Airport

Road.

Although there are more buildings that could potentially need the service of the ladder truck to fight fires on the west side of Marion, Wheeless has expressed some concerns about having to go through the intersection commonly referred to as “Malfunction Junction” and the lack of fire personnel who live on the west side.

“I understand that is where it needs to be in the future,” Wheeless said. “But we don’t have the personnel and our response time won’t really be hurt by having to go through that intersection. That’s the only reason why I’m not opposed to it. But I’m not sure that is my first choice.

We could consider something on the west side. But I feel like we will get more bang for our buck if we remodel Fire Station No. 1.

The remodeling would involve expanding the day room, making some of the existing bays deeper, and building a 60 foot bay to house the ladder truck.

“This is pretty simple if we have the room to do it,” Wheeless said. “We would still be using the majority of that slab.”

Fogleman instructed Wheeless to investigate both options.

“If we select an architect we can tell them to look at both,” Fogleman said. “We can throw out ideas for an expansion and ideas for a new one.”

By Mark Randall