Committees recommend old fire station be put out for bid

The finance committee and the property maintenance and restoration committee of the Hillsboro City Council have voted to recommend that the city of Hillsboro sell the former fire station through a sealed-bid process. 

During a joint committee meeting held June 3, the committees discussed the options the city has regarding the structure, located in the 100 block of North High Street. 

After discussing what options they had, council president Lee Koogler said that it would be his preference to open the property up for sealed bids, and several voting members of council said they agreed. 

"Again, with our financial outlook, we certainly could use the money," Koogler said.

Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis has projected a pending deficit of $700,000 for fiscal year 2011. 

Committee members discussed advertising options and if there were any alternative uses the city could have for the building. Council member Bonnie Parr said the city didn't have funds to do anything with the building. 

Council member Dave Shoemaker called Hillsboro Law Director Fred Beery during the session to clarify the timeline and advertising requirements of putting the structure out for bids.

Shoemaker then made a motion to put the property out for sealed bids, adhering to the advertising procedures required by law, and with a 2/3 reserve on the appraised value of the building. Council member Bill Alexander seconded the motion, and all committee members in attendance - Shoemaker, Alexander, Parr, and Peter Pence - voted in favor of the recommendation. Committee member Brian Waller was not in attendance. 

The recommendation will be made to council during its regular meeting June 14, where the matter will face a vote by council as a whole. 

Koogler said that once the bid process is completed, if bids are not made for at least 2/3 of the property's appraised value it will have to be reappraised. 

Two separate groups have approached the city on projects they would like to see inside the structure, which has been appraised at a value of $110,000. The Highland Community Preservation Group has asked the city to partner with them in restoring and renovating the building to create spaces to house a farmers' market, deli and lease space. Drew Hastings and Steve Penker have proposed that they purchase the building to be renovated for a restaurant, which could use local produce in its menu items. Several members of the groups were in attendance during the committee meeting, although no one addressed council. Property maintenance and restoration committee chairperson Bonnie Parr said that she was unable to contact Christina Ross, who has been speaking to the city on behalf of the preservation group. 

Alexander asked Koogler if anyone had made any offers to the city to buy the building. 

Koogler said that if any of the interested groups had put forth dollar amounts they were willing to pay he was unaware. However, Koogler said, such speculation is "counterintuitive to the sealed bid process."

The committees also discussed the city's budget situations and Pence, the finance committee chairperson, said that he has laid out a schedule of meetings so that the committees can examine the financial issues and come up with a plan by July to address the pending deficit. 

They will meet June 22, June 29 and July 15, all at 5 p.m.

Lewis said that he had nothing new to report regarding the budget. Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt said that he and Lewis had met with department heads on paring down budget requests, and he was waiting on Lewis to run some additional numbers. 

Pence asked members of the administration who were working on plans to address the pending deficit make their work and ideas known to council. Shoemaker asked Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink if he could talk about ideas he has previously said he was working on to address the city's finances. 

Zink and Holt said they could not say anything specific until they had more solid figures. 

Pence asked that they be prepared to discuss the issues during the June 22 committee meeting.

The property maintenance and restoration committee also voted to recommend the Hillsboro Rotary Club be permitted to install a park on North East Street, as requested, at the foot of the hill behind the fire station, on the condition they provide a fence or barrier that separates the park from the fire station.