A proposed new fire station and public works facility will be on the agenda for a special Salem Town Board meeting at 6 p.m., Monday at Town Hall, 9814 Antioch Road (Highway 83).
A special meeting was in order to discuss the topic because staff now has the needed information and the presumption that there will be many questions — perhaps detailed — about the project from Town Board members, town Chairman Linda Valentine said.
“Plus the meeting could be lengthy,” Valentine said. “It actually should be filled to the brim with questions by the Town Board and they should be detailed questions. This is a big decision with very long-term effects.”
With an expected cost of over $8 million, Valentine said it is the largest such project ever undertaken by the town.
On the agenda are:
- Review and discussion relative to the bids received for the proposed highway/fire facility.
- Review and discussion relative to the financing options for the proposed highway/fire facility.
- Discussion and recommended action to proceed with the construction of a highway/fire facility.
- Approval of the lowest responsive and responsible bid for site construction for the project.
The whole agenda, including the “lowest responsive and responsible bid” for seveal aspects of the project, is here.
The facility, if approved, would be located north of the current Trevor station of the Salem Fire/Rescue department. It would replace the Trevor station and the current public works facility, located a little farther north of the site.
I WAS AT THAT MEETING AND CANT SEE WHY THE BOARD DONT UNDERSTAND OUR ANGER.1ST MOST OF US RIGHT NOW ARE JUST TRYING TO SURRIVE. PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES PAY OUR BILLS WE DONT HAVE ANY EXTRA TO GIVE .HOW MANY OF US CANT GET WORK. WHEN THIS WAS 1ST TALKED ABOUT BACK IN 07 THINGS WERE NOT AS BAD AS THEY ARE TODAY. 2ND ALOT PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE THE TRUE COST OF THIS PROJECT WE STILL DONT!!!! TALKING TO SOME OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED WE ALL AGREE OUR FIRE DEPT IS THE BEST AND DERSERVE A MODERN FIRE HOUSE BUT THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR SUCH A COSTLY PROJECT.IF WE HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN FEEDING OUR FAMILY’S AND A VERY COSTLY PROJECT MORE ON TAXES GUESS WHERE I,M GOING BE UNTILL TIMES CHANGE WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SELFS. AND I FIND IT WAS A TOTAL INSULT THE SHERIFF DEPT WAS CALLED BECAUSE WE TRYED TO GET THE BOARD TO LISTEN TO US AND WHEN SOME BOARD MEMBERS WOULD NOT ALLOW US WE WALK OUT 5 PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE A DICISON THAT WILL IMPACT MY LIFE FOR YEARS TO COME SHOULD AT LEAST LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY .I WAS ANGERY WITH A FEW BOARD MEMBERS ATTITUDES AND LACK OF COMPASION FOR THE CITIZENS WE WILL REMEMBER COME ELECTION!!!!!
I was also at that meeting and felt the presentation was very good. This project has been in the works for a couple years now and this may be the best time to do it. Typically, when the federal government spends bunches of money (that it doesn’t really have), inflation results. We may not see interest rates this low for a long, long time. If our country has really bottomed out on the recession, this would be the perfect time to do a big project. This is the rationale the federal and state governments are using to build things and create jobs and get the economy going again. The bills will come due in the future (which is the case for any capital project). I think we will save money if the public works/fire facility is built now. The longer it is put off, the more it will cost. Separating the fire portion will only add to future expense. I do not believe the Town Board members lack compassion or have displayed poor attitudes. Maybe some of them feel a responsibility for the future. There are so many things that could have been done in the past in Salem that are going to cost a lot more when it is finally absolutely necessary to do them. Salem is an urban town and all one has to do is look at other urban environments in Illinois and Wisconsin and see our future (think water).
I also attended this meeting and was appalled at the lack of professionalism the Board displayed in their treatment of each other! I have seen better dispositions amongst children- what a disgrace! The board members should be filmed so they can see how poorly they react to each others’ comments.
Insofar as the Safety Building and the Shovel Ready Federal Funding, I am 90% positive that this is already a done deal, no amount of public approval or disapproval will change the fact that this decision has already been made by the King of Salem and his Merry Men! Why was there no referendum about a large sum of money that will change our tax base forever? We as taxpayers were left in the dark then and are kept in the dark now as well. Don’t be surprised when the “rest” of the money needed for the fancy well, salt dome and etc., is tacked on in the near future…ML
No argument with your comments on the behavior of some of the board members. It was embarrassing. I wish they would focus more on the future of the Town and establish some long range goals and objectives. It too often seems that most decisions are made in a vacuum and not related to any sort of longer range plan. I think some serious decisions were made in the past without consideration of the future. Encouragement of single family development without any associated infrastructure is proving to be expensive and it is changing the society of our Town. Too bad a decision to curtail development like the Towns of Paris and Brighton did wasn’t made. In fact, I don’t think any decision was made. It just happened step by step. If you don’t know where you’re going, you will never get there.
This was planned back in 05 to my understanding Back in 05 our economy was booming And when it was voted on in 07 still not as bad as today I see why this was planned But since then their has been a big chance in our economy. This is a project that can wait till things get better A fact this was based on was new home sale and Grant money What if we dont get the grant? We all know home have come to stop so the figures back then will not hold true now.So that means it will be a higher amount we will be assessed. Now that is just one of MANY things that will change what we are assessed for We have yet to hear the cost of the well And the bids on this project should be made public They feed us small pieces of the puzzle What other things are going to thrown our way before this project is done How much is to much!!!! I think all the fact so be gathered up and present to us Alot of us feel this should be something the ENTIRE town has a chance to vote on not just our board members (unless they want pay out their own pockets) People need to pay attentionnow this is going be a huge snow ball It’s time for the people to get involved in what going on For to long we have trusted our goverment LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THIS COUNTRY We gotta start some place our own town a good place
This morning while reading the kenosha news in local news it is reported that 560,000 residents are on food share What does that tell you Salem board members!!!!! Or maybe you take some of their food share money to pay for your project Wake up people!!!!!