11/10/23 Public Hearing
On Friday, November 10, the Pompey Hill Fire District held a Public Hearing to listen to District residents’ comments on the proposed $12.9m capital project.
District representatives shared that the original building, which once housed an elementary school, was built in 1956. The bays were added in 1985. There are currently 23,000SF of existing structures on the property. The Fire District is looking to maintain the same square footage for the new building(s). The biggest challenges the District faces with the building are addressing ADA requirements, leaking roofs, asbestos, separations between bays and day room areas are not firewalls, and there is no truck bay exhaust system.
Several members of the audience spoke out to express their concerns about the lack of transparency about the project up until now as well as the extreme cost of the project. The public appealed to the District to reconsider the scheduled vote for December 12, citing the need for more information on what exactly residents would be getting for their $12.9m tax burden and a more detailed plan for the building as well as for raising outside funds to support the project.
Fire Department representative Zach Nicholas stated that the Pompey Hill Fire District is the largest in the County by square miles and that the District needs to consider the ongoing lack of volunteers and how we’re going to accommodate future career firemen and women.
Nearly ever member of the public who spoke reiterated their gratitude and support for the important and hard work the District and Company volunteers do to keep our residents safe.
The public also raised concerns about the fact that there is no recent needs assessment or plan for paying for staffing and ongoing maintenance, heating, electricity costs, et al.
Public Notice
Subsequent to the Public Hearing, the Pompey Hill Fire District posted a Public Notice on their website announcing their annual election and a public vote on the capital project. There is, however, some confusion surrounding this vote because, according to the Public Notice, instead of $12.9m for the full project, the District is now seeking $500,000 in tax-funded dollars to prepare “plans, surveys, environmental scoping and review and all other matters necessary to the pre-construction planning for a new fire station project.” This proposal is contrary to the discussion that was held at the 11/10/23 Public Hearing and, thus, it is this author’s belief that this change would require a new Public Hearing be scheduled to address the new plan.
Following is the Public Notice in its entirety.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the annual election of the Pompey Hill Fire District will take place on December 12th, 2023 between the hours of 6 pm and 9 pm at the Pompey Hill Fire Department located at 7407 Academy Street, Pompey, NY 13138 for the following purposes:
To elect one (1) Fire District Commissioner for a five (5) year term commencing on January 1st, 2024 and ending December 31, 2028.
To elect one (1) Fire District Commissioner for the remaining two (2) years of a term having commenced on January 1st, 2021 and ending on December 31st, 2025.
To approve the Bond Resolution adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners authorizing the preparation of plans, surveys, environmental scoping and review and all other matters necessary to the pre-construction planning for a new fire station project at a maximum estimated cost of $500,000; the funding of such plans and studies by the levy of a tax which shall be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Fire Commissioners and in anticipation of the collection of such tax, bonds and notes of the Fire District are authorized to be issued at one time, or from time to time, in the principal amount not to exceed $500,000, and a tax to pay the interest on said obligations when due is approved.
All residents of the Pompey Hill Fire District, who are duly registered to vote with the Onondaga County Board of Elections on or before November 12, 2023, shall be entitled to vote at this election.
