BOND INFORMATION
Your Miles City Fire Rescue department serves the Citizens of Miles City for Fire/Ambulance/Technical Rescue and the entirety of Custer County for Ambulance and Technical Rescue. We are proud to serve our community and region and would like to inform you of a very important election coming up that could affect public safety.
In October, Miles City residents will receive a letter in the mail for an election ballot for a rebuild of the ambulance/fire station. The City of Miles City is asking the citizens if they would like us to rebuild the current ambulance/fire station located at 2800 Main Street in Miles City. The current building is over 70 years old and has been determined structurally unsafe for firefighters, emergency medical services workers and Paramedics to occupy. The City’s Insurance carrier will no longer cover city equipment in the building because of structural stability concerns and potentially catastrophic failure.
The election is asking for 3.9 million dollars to help with the costs of rebuilding the current building to make it safe for continued emergency response.
The proposed 20-year General Obligation Bond amount is $3,945,000 or $38.54 per year for a $100,000 home in Miles City.
The money will go to rebuilding the ambulance/fire station because three separate building inspectors and an independent third party structural engineer have all ruled that the current building is unsafe and fails to follow code requirements. The total cost of the project is $5,445,000 and the City already has $1.5 million dollars set aside for the project. The City Council unanimously voted to send the bond election to the voters because the cost of a remodel and brining the building up to code compliance was almost as much as the cost as completely rebuilding the building. The new building will be a pre-engineered steel building.
Fact Sheet –
Specific Building Problems –
In October, Miles City residents will receive a letter in the mail for an election ballot for a rebuild of the ambulance/fire station. The City of Miles City is asking the citizens if they would like us to rebuild the current ambulance/fire station located at 2800 Main Street in Miles City. The current building is over 70 years old and has been determined structurally unsafe for firefighters, emergency medical services workers and Paramedics to occupy. The City’s Insurance carrier will no longer cover city equipment in the building because of structural stability concerns and potentially catastrophic failure.
The election is asking for 3.9 million dollars to help with the costs of rebuilding the current building to make it safe for continued emergency response.
The proposed 20-year General Obligation Bond amount is $3,945,000 or $38.54 per year for a $100,000 home in Miles City.
The money will go to rebuilding the ambulance/fire station because three separate building inspectors and an independent third party structural engineer have all ruled that the current building is unsafe and fails to follow code requirements. The total cost of the project is $5,445,000 and the City already has $1.5 million dollars set aside for the project. The City Council unanimously voted to send the bond election to the voters because the cost of a remodel and brining the building up to code compliance was almost as much as the cost as completely rebuilding the building. The new building will be a pre-engineered steel building.
Fact Sheet –
- The building at 2800 Main Street was built in the 1950’s as a farm implement parts store.
- The building was transitioned into the College Vocational School building in the 1960’s.
- In the late 1970’s, the City fire department was moved from city hall to 2800 Main Street until a more permanent location for the fire department could be found; however, staff nor apparatus nor the station were ever relocated.
- The building was not built to house people and heavy fire equipment.
- The firefighters themselves remodeled the building several times over the years.
- Structural engineers have evaluated the building and have stated it was not constructed correctly, including the trussing system.
- Over the years, the building has degraded and is beyond repair (rebuild or total remodel is needed).
Specific Building Problems –
- The building is not code compliant with city ordinance and the amount of remodel needed necessitates bringing the building up to code, which equals almost the cost of new construction.
- The City’s insurance carrier will no longer cover the building because of current condition and damage.
- Sinking ground around the station is causing water drainage issues.
- The front apron is warped and is in need of repair or replacement.
- The foundation is cracked and of concern.
- The building’s concrete slab is cracked and broken in several locations and was never pinned to the front, which has caused lifting and moving of both sections. Staff have had issues getting apparatus in and out of the station and opening and closing doors.
- The electrical system is in need of updating and was largely completed by uncertified electricians.
- The bathrooms in the main building and sewer lines in the cabins have multiple problems.
- The building’s upper support members have been compromised and damaged by water.
- The building’s insulation is wet and moldy and is in need of replacement.
- The rafters are cracked and in desperate need of replacement.
- The metal roof is damaged and has been leaking for years; it lacks a moisture barrier or sheeting under the metal roof, which has caused extensive condensation during winter months.
- The bottom sill plate has been exposed to moisture over the years and is rotted.
- There is no barrier between the metal siding and the wood framing.
- The building is a public building and must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act but is not at the current time and must be brought into compliance.
- The building is not up to fire code and must be brought into compliance.
- The building is not up to building code and must be brought into compliance.
*All property owners (including farming and ranching operations, commercial businesses, homeowners, etc....) should use the following formula to calculate the estimated tax impact of the Bond issue. Look up the Property's "Taxable Value" from Personal Tax Statement or use the following State website (http://svc.mt.gov/dor/property/prc) and apply the following formula: "Taxable Value" X 0.02855 (which is Mills/1,000) = Estimated Annual Tax Impact of the 2023 Bonds