The former Oconto Falls fire station at 98 Jackson St. is being turned over to the city street department.
The building was replaced last summer by a new $7.3 million fire station at the south end of Memorial Field, which was built with the help of a $7 million federal grant.
During its meeting Jan. 14, the Oconto Falls City Council approved allowing the street department to relocate its headquarters to the old fire station.
Street Superintendent Wally Remic said the city crew was very receptive to the idea when it was presented to them.
“They made it very clear to me that we’re in a building that doesn’t fit all of our equipment right now, that we’re spread out over a few different buildings the way it is,” Remic said.
He then met with City Administrator Peter Wills and Fire Chief Tim Magnin to review the city’s heating bills for the old fire station versus the west side garage.
“It’s going to be a savings of at least one-half every month if we were to walk away from the west side shop,” Remic said. “The crew is excited and very sure that we could work out of there more efficiently than what we’re working out of our shop right now.”
The Jackson Street facility is “a much nicer facility” and “My guys would absolutely love to move into there,” he said.
If the city continues to experience a lack of normal snowfall, Remic said, his department can be moving in between now and the start of spring.
“If it’s not snowing, we have some time that we could be cleaning, moving, getting set up in there,” he said.
The city has been exploring its options for the old fire station since the fire department made its move last June. Another idea was for Oconto Falls Municipal Utilities to relocate there.
Magnin said the process of wrapping up the paperwork with the state on closing out the new fire station project is nearly complete.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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