DECATUR — Fire Chief David Flynt told the city council at the Aug. 9 city council meeting that he would like to enlarge the fire station with a 40-foot addition,
Flynt said he would like to add office space, a bathroom and another truck bay to the building.
Currently the fire station lacks running water or a bathroom, creating an inconvenient situation for firefighters and first responders, he explained.
Flynt said the additional truck bay would be used for the medical truck. The addition would require water and sewer lines to be dug to the station. When the station was originally built, the electrical system was set up so it would be easy to add on by making one of the north-facing windows a door, he said.
The addition will still leave room to land a helicopter on the pad near the station, Flynt said.
Flynt asked the council for permission to talk to the Decatur State Bank about financing the project. The current fire station was paid for by Act 833 money, without any contribution from the city, he said.
Councilwoman Linda Martin asked how much it would cost. Flynt replied that he was unsure but that metal prices were down, making it a good time to build.
Mayor Bill Montgomery asked Flynt to bring three or four proposals back to the council.
In other business, the second reading of the ordinance to require all Decatur businesses to have a business license was unanimously passed.
The ordinance would require all income-producing businesses to obtain a license annually. The fee is set at $25.
The mayor and council decided to pass the ordinance by three separate readings to allow time for community input. The third and final reading will be held at the Sept. 13 council meeting.