Townspeople will not decide Monday whether to build a new firehouse.
The item was supposed to be on the call for the Tuesday, May 12, annual budget meeting, but First Selectman Matt Riiska told his board Wednesday that a special town meeting will be needed instead.
Construction of the new building is estimated at $8.3 million, with another million dollars budgeted for soft costs and contingency funds.
Riiska explained that the funding for the firehouse includes $500,000 to be taken from the $1.2 million the town received when it closed out its defined benefit plan. He was advised by bond counsel that the Board of Finance, which does not meet until the day after the town meeting, must pass a resolution to that effect. The Board of Selectmen then has to act on its own resolution.
The special town meeting will be held May 22.
At present, the town has $3,000,000 assured for construction of the firehouse. An additional $3 million is expected from a capital campaign and Riiska is waiting to hear if the state has approved his $500,000 STEAP grant application.
Federal grants totaling $1.25 million had been approved but were caught up in Congress’ budget reconciliation process. Riiska has been advised to reapply for those funds.
“We will keep chipping away at that,” Riiska said.