BROOKFIELD Fire station cost exceeds officials' expectations

The fire chief thought another building would cost about $160,000.
BROOKFIELD -- The extra $225,000 per year paid by township residents for fire protection may not be enough to fund a new fire department building.
Trustees plan to build a new fire station at state Route 82 and Addison Road in Masury. A Sharon, Pa., architectural firm has completed plans for the new station, and trustees had hoped to award the contract for the work this month.
The 2-mill levy voters approved last year was supposed to generate enough money to purchase two new fire trucks and build another fire station, but Fire Chief Keith Barrett said Monday the department may need additional financing in the long run.
"My initial reaction is we're out of line" concerning funding, Barrett said. "We're going to have to re-evaluate what we've done and take a look at it."
The lowest bids were: general construction $189,000; $24,000 for electrical wiring; $14,700 for heating and air conditioning; and $24,987 for plumbing installation.
The total of the lowest bids is $252,687. Barrett said that he anticipated the costs to be about $160,000.
"I was kind of surprised that some of the bids were that high," he said.
New truck
The township's new rescue truck, which cost $350,000 and has a spotlight to help firefighters assist in night-time car accidents and equipment to remove passengers trapped in vehicles, was on display Monday in the administration building parking lot.
The other new vehicle, a ladder truck that cost $480,000, was not on display. The truck's ladder can extend 75 feet, Barrett said.
In another matter, Trustee Gary Lees invited the community and churches to participate in Brookfield's first Christmas Night on The Green on Dec. 6.
The event begins at 6 p.m. Lees would like participants to join with students from Brookfield middle and high schools for Christmas caroling, which will begin at 7 p.m.
Contacts are Lees or Melody Schneider, a seventh-grade middle school teacher.