Council to Decide on Firehouse Bid Specs Thursday

The is expected to vote on whether to reject bids that came in higher than the council had hoped for for the reconstruction of the Boonton Avenue firehouse at Thursday's council meeting.

The current facility can barely fit the Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Co. engines in its bays. The project includes tearing down the existing structure and building a new one several feet away. The new firehouse will be 80 by 50 square feet and will be two stories high.

The borough received 13 bids in August, the lowest coming in at $1,091,875. The borough has bonded $900,000 for the project, expecting bids to come in below that cost, and will be deciding whether to bond more to meet the bid of the low bidder, Liam Design/Build.

Liam built the on Route 23 south, and, according to Borough Engineer Paul Darmofalski, has built four firehouses in the last three years.

Darmofalski said he went back to Liam and asked if there was anything that could be cut from the project. According to his response, Darmofalski said some money could be saved on the mezzanine that is planned for the second floor, but "it's not going to get you down to the number you all hoped for."

"If you like the project you have, then that's what you're going to pay for," Darmofalski said.

At the end of September, an $80,000 Morris County grant for the demolition and engineering of the project will expire, but Mayor Bob Collins said last Thursday that he has already filed an extension that, if granted, would give the borough an additional six months to begin the project and still receive the money.

The council was in agreement that what the is requesting for the project, including a three-bay garage and the mezzanine, which would primarily house a room for training but also sleeping quarters if firefighters need to stay over in an emergency, is reasonable.

"Think of it as a multi-purpose space," said Chief Jim Bosch.

However, Councilman Dan O'Dougherty wanted to see if the project would come in at a lower cost if the building was constructed of pre-fabricated steel.

O'Dougherty said he is confident the council should have an answer on on that by Thursday's council meeting.

Borough Attorney Mark Madaio suggested bond counsel begin working on the paperwork last week for the new bond ordinance in case the borough does decide to go with the low bidder (since the borough only bonded for $900,000, the bond would have to be amended).

For taxpayers, if the council does go with the low bidder, taxes will increase by $36, finance committee chairman and Councilman Stephen Cobell said.

The council will be meeting at 8 p.m at the Kinnelon Municipal Building on Kinnelon Road.