Decorah Council Reviews Scenarios for Fire Station and Municipal Building Project Ahead of Nov. 4 Vote

We hike Pulpit Rock for the views — and for the stories waiting at the top. Support Decorah News today. DECORAH — Decorah city officials and residents dug into technical details and trade-offs Monday as the city prepares for a Nov. 4 bond referendum that would fund a new fire station and renovations to municipal office space. The discussion centered on three options that each include a newly built fire station and are modeled to remain within an $18.88 million "not to exceed" bond amount. City Manager Travis Goedken, who led a noon Community Information Meeting, said the existing facility is failing in multiple ways, presents safety and code problems, and forces inefficient workarounds that staff and firefighters say hamper response and public services. The meeting included a walking tour of the building led by Engineer Jeff Ode and was intended to explain options and costs from ISG, the consulting and engineering firm the city engaged to produce rough order-of-magnitude estimates. Goedken urged the public to treat the ballot question as authorizing up to $18.8 million rather than locking the city to a single design, saying the figure was chosen so any of the three main approaches could be built within that ceiling. "That number was selected because we believed all three options could be achieved under that dollar amount," Goedken said. Why the project: Operational risks, Code gaps and Failing structure City Manager Travis Goedken presented photos and descriptions of the current municipal complex during the meeting, outlining areas that staff say present safety, health and operational concerns. Decontamination space: Firefighters returning from calls currently move directly from apparatus bays into living and office areas because there is no dedicated decontamination space. Goedken cited studies linking firefighter exposures to higher cancer rates and said new gear and "decon" areas are part of the program. Structural conditions: Portions of the foundation under the apparatus bay are failing. "While the plan called for it, no pilings (long, slender columns to transfer a structure's load through weak upper soil layers to a strong, stable layer of rock or soil deeper underground) were utilized in the middle two bays," Goedken said. Water intrusion and exterior condition: Photos showed areas of water intrusion, roof deterioration and spalling exterior brick. Goedken said a section of ceiling had fallen about six months ago. Accessibility and code compliance: Restrooms and council chambers are not ADA-compliant, Goedken said, citing the women's restroom design and narrow stall doors. As a public safety building, any renovated facility would also need to meet higher storm-shelter and code standards. Space and record storage: The city currently rents off-site storage for records that must be kept "in perpetuity" under state law, Goedken said. Staff work areas are described as cramped and inefficient. What's Being Proposed: Three Primary Options City staff and ISG presented multiple cost scenarios tied to three main approaches, each of which includes construction of a new fire station. All new construction on the existing municipal site: Demolish the existing structure, build a new combined fire station, administrative offices and Parks & Recreation space. ISG's rough order-of-magnitude estimate including soft costs places the all-new option at about $18,443,201 (total all costs, $658.03 per usable square foot). New fire station plus partial demolition and renovation of remaining City Hall: Build a new fire station on-site and renovate the usable portion of the current municipal building rather than a full demolition. ISG's worksheet shows a total-all-costs estimate of about $17,611,997 (roughly $579.59 per square foot for the renovated portion). Those estimates assume demolition of the apparatus area and renovating roughly 9,622 square feet east of the apparatus bay into office and Parks space. New fire station plus acquisition and renovation "land swap" of the BMO building at 120 W. Water St.: Acquire the former bank building downtown, renovate some or all floors for administration/P&R functions, potentially rent out any unnecessary space in the building, and build a new fire station on the municipal site. ISG modeled a range of BMO scenarios: Renovate the main floor only for municipal uses: $19,374,788 (total, including soft costs). Renovate main and lower floors: $19,884,775. Renovate all floors of the BMO building: $21,032,244 (this reflects a full, more expensive rehabilitation). ISG's worksheets detail cost components including line-item construction estimates, subcontractor overhead and profit, a 10% allowance for general conditions, 15% contingency, insurance and bonding, a 4% construction manager fee, and 20% soft costs. Council Discussion During the evening council meeting, officials waded into both financial considerations and potential benefits of downtown property ownership. Council Member Steve Zittergruen commended the detailed cost analysis but cautioned that the city could take on "a building that's larger than our program needs" if it moved forward with purchasing and renovating the bank structure. "Do we really think we can make a profit renting out the BMO building after spending to rehabilitate it to a high standard?" Zittergruen asked. "I think the answer is probably not." Mayor Lorraine Borowski acknowledged the financial risks but said the downtown location offered "huge potential." "It's not very often that you get the potential of a building that has the value [the BMO building] has," she said. Zittergruen said he supported continuing conversations with BMO leadership. "It may be a short conversation if our expectations of what they're anticipating getting for the property, and what we are able to give, are far apart," he said. "But it's worth pursuing." City staff discussed possible ways to reduce financial risk tied to a BMO acquisition. Goedken said staff have explored options that would limit upfront purchase costs, such as offering a nominal sale price combined with temporary tax support for a limited period, and pursuing long-term leases with private tenants who would handle upper-floor improvements while the city focuses on mechanical, elevator and infrastructure upgrades. "I would not suggest any cash consideration on top of the land swap," Goedken said, describing a possible arrangement that could maintain downtown tax base while providing space for municipal operations. Operations-First Concerns Beyond the real-estate debate, the meetings repeatedly returned to how each option addresses firefighter safety and emergency response operations. Goedken outlined several elements city staff consider essential: Decontamination space: A dedicated gear and cleaning area to reduce exposure risks. "This will increase tool and maintenance storage," Goedken said. Hose tower: A tower for hose drying and training. Living quarters: Individual sleeping rooms for firefighters. Goedken said the current arrangement has "three male firefighters that all three share one bedroom." Vehicle bay capacity: Expanded apparatus space to consolidate equipment currently stored off-site and address single-lane circulation issues. Staff said the new apparatus bay plan includes about 10,800 square feet for vehicle storage and circulation. Implementation and Timing Goedken said the city is reviewing phasing and contingency options. The city recently secured additional land on the north side of the municipal site, previously part of the Army Reserve Center. Staff said the added space could allow construction of a new station on the north side while operations continue elsewhere, reducing displacement. "That really opened up things for the north side of this site, and operationally, what that will allow us to do is build a new station and move the station once constructed," Goedken said. If voters approve the referendum, design work would begin promptly, with the earliest potential groundbreaking in spring 2027, according to current scheduling assumptions.. The measure requires a "60% plus one" affirmative vote to pass because it is a capital bond referendum for a public infrastructure project. What It Would Cost Homeowners Goedken walked residents through the property tax impacts during the community meeting, reviewing assessed values, rollback limits and how the per-$1,000 tax rate would apply. He cautioned that the $18.88 million figure represents a ceiling; if the city pursued a more expensive project, such as a full BMO renovation, the council would need to return to voters to increase authorization rather than unilaterally raising the bond amount. "If we come back and it's $25 million, we don't get to just up it to $25 [million]," he said. Council Actions At the council meeting, no binding action was taken to remove any option from consideration. Goedken asked the council to identify priorities so staff can explore feasibility details such as potential lease revenues, tenant interest and property terms. "There's value in the council trying to prioritize which one we want to see happen foremost," he said. Bottom Line from City Staff: "Something Needs to be Done" Throughout both sessions the message from staff was consistent: the current station and municipal building show deterioration and noncompliance issues that warrant replacement or major renovation. They said the downtown BMO option offers location and revenue potential but also involves long-term maintenance and market risk tradeoffs for the council to weigh. "What doesn't change is that we need a safe, efficient, and code-compliant home for our fire department and city staff," Goedken said at the community meeting. "We can't keep waiting." Absentee voting for the Nov. 4 referendum runs through Nov. 3. Polls will be open on Election Day, Nov. 4, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additional information sessions are scheduled tonight, Oct. 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Oct. 22, from 9 to 10 a.m. Elevate your inbox with the DecorahNews.com newsletter! 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