Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rosston Water Dept. To Buy Old Fire Station

Rosston's Water Department will purchase the current fire station once the new fire house is built.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Rosston City Council Thursday, Nov. 9, the panel decided to pay $15,000 for the existing building and use it for storing equipment and materials used by the Water Department.

Rosston Mayor Lewis Jackson said there was plenty of money in the department's budget for the transaction. The Water Department has $45,000 left in its budget.

The Rosston Volunteer Fire Department has agreed to help pick up part of the $33,800 the new building will cost.

Jackson said the city had to pay 25 percent of the costs up front in good faith so HCC would order the building.

Jackson said it would cost the city more to try and build a new facility for the Water Department than buy the fire station and make some minor repairs to it.

As it is, J.D. Luck, department manager, has to leave some equipment outside in the elements.

But, Jackson said, by purchasing the fire station all of the materials and equipment can be kept in one place inside.

HCC Inc., the company the city contracted to build the new fire station, will pour the slab the week of Nov. 20, and return the week of Nov. 27 to begin erecting the new metal building.

The plumbing will be roughed-in and installed at a later time, Jackson said.

Additionally, there will be no divider put up at the start to separate the fire bays from a meeting room the council requested be included. This, Jackson said, will be done later, as the most important thing now is to get the newest firetruck in the dry.

According to Jackson, a representative from the Insurance Service Organization, ISO, will be paying the city a visit soon to check the equipment and grade the city.

Jackson told the council the equipment will be put on the new firetruck, and the representative will be shown floor plans for the new building, along with the contract between the city and HCC, Inc.

By doing this, Jackson hopes to lower the VFD's rating from a 9 to, hopefully, a 7. Having it lowered to an 8 is almost assured, Jackson said.

Lower ISO ratings for fire departments translate into savings for homeowners. In fact, the lower the ISO rating, the less expensive the fire insurance premium for homeowners.