The Post-Crescent ran an editorial about the increase in costs to the proposed fire station. Below is my response emailed (with some edits for general public) to the editorial board:
I wanted to clarify a point you made in the editorial for the Grand Chute fire station. (Please note in advance, I am not disagreeing with the editorial as a whole)
The editorial states: "But the funding resolution they approved at an April town meeting was for $3.5 million, a figure given to them by the advisory panel responsible for the fire station design."
The $3.5 million figure was a number given to the advisory panel by Chairman Marsden as a price to keep the proposed fire station at, based upon fire stations in other communities of similiar size as Grand Chute. This number was given to the panel before design even started. At the same time, the fire station advisory panel was instructed to design a fire station to fit our specific community's needs.
It is important to note; the plan was still in the preliminary planning stages at the Annual meeting. The advisory panel did not give numbers out at the town meeting. (Construction Manager) Boldt was not brought in until after the plan was finished (in May) to give estimates.
This detail, on the surface, may seem insignificant, but in the next couple weeks, the board willl have to educate the residents where the $1 million gap came from. It is a complicated process to explain, and it's imperitive the residents get the correct information from all sources, so they can reach an educated decision.
