Boyceville fire district approves sending out RFPs for feasibility study

By LeAnn R. Ralph

BOYCEVILLE  —  Members of the Boyceville Fire District have approved sending out requests for proposals for a feasibility study of the Boyceville fire station.

The fire district board approved sending out the RFPs at the November 13 meeting.

 The questions facing the Boyceville Fire District are whether to remodel the existing fire station, purchase an existing building and remodel it to use as a fire station, or build a brand new fire station.

Rich Monn of Knapp, chair of the Town of Stanton and chair of the Five Year Planning Committee, asked the other members of the fire district about a response time for the requests for proposals.

Board members agreed that 60 to 90 days would be sufficient, but that 90 days would be better considering the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

The requests for proposals will be sent out to four companies: Short Elliott Hendrickson; WIPFLI; Cedar Corporation and one other company, Monn said.

The Boyceville Fire District board unanimously approved sending out the RFPs with a return date of March 3.

Monn and Cindy Swanepoel, Boyceville clerk-treasurer and clerk-treasurer for the fire district, will work on a cover letter for the request for proposals.

In addition to the questions about remodeling or replacing the fire station, the feasibility study will consider the number and types of vehicles that the fire district will need; will plan for future expansion; will include a design for the building that will allow removing vehicles and equipment without first moving other vehicles and equipment; will consider the cost options for hose drying; and will use off-peak energy wherever possible.

The Boyceville Fire District board includes representatives from the Towns of Hay River, New Haven, Sherman, Stanton, and Tiffany and the villages of Boyceville and Wheeler.

Other business

In other business, the Boyceville Fire District board:

• Learned from Boyceville Fire Chief Brian Marlette that the fire department has gone out on five runs since last month and has provided mutual aid to Menomonie and Glenwood City.

• Learned from Fire Chief Marlette that the new fire truck has arrived and has been put into service. The fire department will sell the old truck, he said.

• Learned that the fire department had $258,428 in funds as of October 1, and as of November 13, had $123,155 on hand. The fire department’s certificate of deposit of $100,000 has a maturity date of November 17, 2013.

• Scheduled the next meeting for December 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boyceville Village Hall.