PIMA – To help speed construction of a new Pima Fire Station, the town is renting space to the department.
“If you remember, we received $2 million in funding through (U.S. Rep.) Juan Ciscomani’s office to build a new fire department. But the terms of that is we have to come up with a 25-percent match to make that happen,” said Town Manager Vernon Batty.
Batty said Fire Chief Terry Earp’s conversations with USDA — the agency through which the federal funding will disbursed — said the town can rent space to the Fire Department and that would count toward the match.
On Tuesday, the Town Council voted unanimously to rent an unused portion of the old Town Hall to the Fire Department, to use as offices. And when the Fire Department needs to move its equipment and truck during construction, Batty said the town can lease to the Fire Department space at the Public Works Yard, which would also help toward any matching requirements.
The town currently rents a small portion of the old Town Hall to the nonprofit organization Tooth B.U.D.D.S. Batty said the new Fire Department lease will not impose on Tooth B.U.D.D.S.
Cost of the lease for the Fire Department is $2,000 per month.
The Town Council also voted unanimously to amend town code, changing the date for election of Fire Department Officers from January to June. That allows the chief and other officers to take part in the town’s annual budgeting process.
