New fire department bond pushed to a later vote
A rendering of the proposed Bigfork Fire Department building. (Courtesy/Bigfork Fire Department and ThinkOne Architects)
The Bigfork Fire District facilities committee precluded a board decision to put a bond for a new fire hall on the May ballot last week, while maintaining the set timeline to break ground in spring of 2026.
“Originally, we planned to have the preliminary building drawings available by the end of last year,” Bigfork Fire public information officer and board member Al Benitez noted. “Due to some changes and the addition of structural, mechanical-electrical-plumbing, and civil engineering firms needed to complete the drawings, the new delivery date was changed to the end of February.”
With delayed deliverables, a cost estimate was unable to be determined, postponing a board review. Benitez suggested the soonest the Bigfork Fire District board will be able to make a decision is now pushed to the end of March at the earliest. Ballot language is needed 85 days before the election, eliminating the option for a May vote.
If the board were to approve the plans, this would put the bond on the September 2025 ballot.
The Bigfork Fire District purchased an 8.6-acre property near the intersection of Montana 35 and Chapman Hill Road in 2020 with the intention of building a new hall to replace the current building, which is out-of-code and unable to adequately house staff.
The new building plans, designed by Bozeman architect ThinkOne, are for a 24,000-square-foot two story building with five bays for emergency response vehicles, housing quarters for six firefighters, administrative space and storage. The new fire hall’s original cost estimate of $15 million jumped to $17.5 million in 2024, with $20 million considered the high end.
The district planned to look for a general obligation bond with a 4% interest rate. For a $15 million project, that would amount to $35.10 a year per $100,000 assessed home value for taxpayers. A $17.5 million building would require $40.50 a year per $100,000, and a $20 million building would mean $47.25 per $100,000.
Project planning and design drawings are scheduled for completion by the end of February now, with the intention to distribute them to local contractors for bids in March.