Manhattan Fire District Advances New Station with $8.75M Bond Hearing, Approves Contracts with $194,000 Savings

Article Summary: The Manhattan Fire Protection District is moving forward with plans for a new Station 81 after holding a public hearing for an $8.75 million bond sale and approving rebid contracts for roofing, doors, and flooring that resulted in approximately $194,000 in savings. With earthwork already underway, the board is also exploring investment strategies for the bond proceeds to maximize returns for the district.

New Station 81 Project Key Points:

• A public hearing was held concerning the intent to sell up to $8,750,000 in General Obligation Bonds to fund the new fire station’s construction and equipment.

• The Board of Trustees awarded rebid contracts for roofing, overhead doors, and flooring finishes for the new facility.

• Net savings on the approved bid packages totaled approximately $194,000 compared to initial estimates.

• Chief Steve Malone reported that preliminary earthwork has already begun at the new station’s site.

The Manhattan Fire Protection District Board of Trustees took significant steps on Monday, August 18, 2025, to advance the construction of a new Station 81, holding a key public hearing and awarding construction contracts that yielded substantial savings.

The board opened the meeting with a public hearing on its intent to sell not more than $8,750,000 in General Obligation Bonds. These bonds, designated as an Alternate Revenue Source, are intended to finance the construction and equipping of the new fire station. No objections were raised by the public during the hearing. The board later approved the treasurer’s report, which included a presentation on managing the proceeds from the eventual bond sale.

John Falduto of Sawyer Falduto, an investment management service, explained via Zoom how the funds could be handled. He proposed investing the bond proceeds in a high-interest money market fund with no risk tolerance, using U.S. Treasury notes as a potential vehicle. Falduto assured the board that his firm works with many fire districts and that monthly reports would be provided. District accountant James Howard noted that accounts would be established quickly to begin earning interest on the funds as soon as they are available, citing that “rates are good right now.”

Following the financial discussions, the board moved to new business, focusing on awarding rebid packages for the Station 81 project. The rebids covered roofing, overhead doors, flooring finishes, and landscaping. The results showed significant cost reductions in two key areas.

The roofing contract came in at $155,000 less than the original bid, and the flooring finishes saw a savings of $50,000. A bid for new overhead doors saw a slight increase of $9,300 due to changes in size and type requirements. In total, the approved packages represent a net savings of approximately $194,000 for the district. The board approved the rebid packages for the doors, roofing, and flooring as presented by ICI Builds.

A decision on the landscaping rebid was deferred. According to meeting minutes, the board will “hold off on the landscaping rebid at this time as we continue to work on the details with the Village of Manhattan concerning the IGA [Intergovernmental Agreement].”

In his report to the board, Fire Chief Steve Malone confirmed that the project is physically underway. “Earthwork has started at the site of the new station,” Malone stated. He added that the district’s building committee continues to meet weekly and is working to resolve easement issues with ComEd, BP, and Nicor. A construction trailer is scheduled to be delivered to the site this week.

Meeting Briefs: