Alna voters overwhelmingly approved the reworded warrant article for a $200,000 loan for a firehouse at a special town meeting Aug. 26.
With only 36 present during the brief session at the historic Alna Meetinghouse, the legislative body legalized the loan under federal regulations and allowed the work to continue through to completion ahead of schedule in a couple of week.
“I think it had to happen,” said First Selectman Billie Willard. “We already had the building up.”
Funds for the work Catalano’s Construction Inc. of Thomaston has been doing nearly ran out but the bank advanced the town $33,000 with confidence the town would vote in the affirmative for the reworked article as merely a housekeeping measure to satisfy bond counsel.
Construction superintendent Michael Catalano said Aug. 27 he was not worried about the funds going through before the vote and was unaware of the vote when asked about the situation.
Work has involved construction of a brand new three bay facility to house the department’s fire trucks and remodeling of the original structure for public meeting/training and office space as well as an ADA compliant bathroom.
“I don’t know that there was anything in hindsight we could have changed,” Willard said. “We had to do the legal thing of having it ratified.”
Town treasurer Nick Caristo explained the article passed at the March town meeting that approved a bond issue for $200,000 for a 10-year loan and the use of $16,000 in reserves, lacked certain items the federal government requires for third party receipt of loan money. The article required among other changes, a statement of the town’s indebtedness, which was non-existent before the loan application.
Caristo also spoke about the increase in interest for the loan from 4.13 percent to 6.25 percent because of the federal regulations pertaining to a third party, which is the status of the Alna Volunteer Fire Dept. Inc.
“It was one more hoop we had to jump through,” said Assistant Fire Chief Roger Whitney. “Things should be in pretty good shape now.”
Ironically, the town voted at a special town meeting this summer to sell the land and facility to the fire department for one dollar following a much disputed question whether the town or the fire department owned the property. The special town meeting vote settled the matter, but now the town will have to pay the additional interest rate amounting to $25,000 in interest and making the total interest $69,470 as a result.
Caristo originally spoke about the possibility of cutting the length of the loan to less than 10 years but that was rejected.
“If we took it out for less than 10 years, we would make taxes even higher,” Willard said.
Presently the construction has been moving along ahead of schedule, and builders foresee completion within a couple of weeks.
“They’re coming along very nicely,” Whitney said Aug. 27. “One of our trucks spent the night there last night.”
Whitney praised Catalano’s Construction describing them as “an excellent, excellent company to work with”.
“They’ve had a really get-it-done attitude,” he said. “We’ve been very pleased with them.”
Workers have almost completed the interior and exterior painting, glass front doors have been installed and a new industrial washer and dryer have been installed in the downstairs, which will now house much needed office space where trucks have been parked.
“The trend seems to be bigger and taller fire trucks,” Whitney said. “We built the station to reflect the future.”
Whitney said new regulations and health concerns have made the industrial type washer and dryer a necessity now for firefighters’ protective clothing, since regular washers and dryers wear out quickly washing it and pathogens on it pose a hazard to homeowners.
The breathing system was scheduled to go in Monday, according to Whitney. He said the special air compressor refills breathing apparatus firefighters use when entering areas with smoke.
The addition will provide more adequate space for at least three large trucks and one smaller truck and still leave plenty of room around them to maintain them.
“We couldn’t work around the trucks before,” Whitney said.
Extra space in the facility will also afford room to thaw out hoses during the winter. In the past, the fire department has had to leave the trucks outside in order to have space to take care of the hoses.
Whitney looks forward to an all day open house celebration of the new construction some time in October, including free food and beverages.
