ROGERS -- Voters will decide next month whether to pay for a new fire station the chief says will increase safety and decrease response times west of Interstate 49.
The city is asking voters to extend a 1 percent sales tax to pay for various capital projects and pay off a bond issue. The new issue, if approved, would continue a 2011 bond issue refinanced in 2015 by extending the 1 percent sales tax.
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a five-part series on the proposed Rogers bond issue. For previous stories, visit nwadg.com.
By the numbers
Rogers residents will vote Aug. 14 on a $299.5 million bond issue to pay for projects in four areas. The fifth question on the ballot asks voters to renew a 1 percent sales tax to pay the bonds. The renewal must pass for any of the projects to be funded. Estimated costs and projects are:
• $178 million for street improvement
• $59.5 million to refinance debt
• $41 million for parks and recreation
• $11.5 million for Police Department
• $9.5 million for Fire Department
Source: Staff report
Other projects include city parks, streets and police equipment for a total bond issue estimated at $240 million.
The Fire Department project would get $9.5 million and pay for the new station, improve a training center and buy vehicles, Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said.
Fire Station No. 8 was placed on the ballot because city officials see a growing need in that area, Jenkins said. The station would be built across from the Shadow Valley neighborhood on West Pleasant Grove Road, he said.
"We looked at our coverage and where we have risk, where we aren't meeting response time standards and where we think, quite frankly, it takes too long to get to," he said.
Average response time for the department is five minutes, and Station No. 8 would help make the department reach its goal of four minutes, Jenkins said.
Penny Smyth, who lives near the site for the new station, doesn't support it.
"I don't want it," Smyth said. "They're building so much around this area, and I've actually considered going to the City Council to complain about it."
Smyth said she thinks the fire stations in Cave Springs and on South Pinnacle Hills Parkway are enough for the area she lives in.
Fire Station No. 5 on South Pinnacle Hills Parkway and Fire Station No. 6 on South Bellview Road respond to emergencies in the area and have seen an "exponential increase in call volumes," Jenkins said.
"Station 8 not only goes to fill a void, but also serves to give stations 5 and 6 a bit of a break," he said.
Nancy Neil, a resident who lives near the proposed site, said she thinks it's a good idea.
"Places that help people, like hospitals, police stations and fire departments are always a good idea," Neil said.
The Fire Department also plans to expand its training center and develop a multistory burn building. The center was built 22 years ago and contains two classrooms and an area for inside drills, according to the Fire Department website. The center is the largest in the region and is used by cities throughout Northwest Arkansas.
Jenkins said the center needs to expand because buildings in Rogers are bigger and more diverse. Firefighters need the training that reflects modern situations.
The last component for the fire project involves buying five to seven vehicles, which would cost from $500,000 to $1 million total.
The Fire Department has 18 emergency response vehicles, according to its website.
All of the projects are needed and not just wanted by the Fire Department, Jenkins said.
"This is a healthy investment for our city," he said. "While people may not think of their Fire Department on a day-to-day basis, we are able to be there for them for a broad span of emergencies."
If voters approve the fire bond question, it will help Rogers maintain a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office. The city has had the rating since 2015.
The ISO decides the rating by collecting information on fire protection efforts in the city, according to its website. Springdale and Fayetteville also have a Class 1 rating, and Bentonville has a Class 2.
"While we already have the lowest fire insurance rate you can get, it isn't something that just stays with us," Jenkins said. "Every three to five years, the ISO will look at our risks and resources we have."
Jenkins thinks voters will approve the fire bond issue, and said residents will see results from their decision quickly. If the fire bond issue is approved, the department plans to start design work a few weeks after and hopes to see the station built within a year. The new vehicles will take about a year to build, Jenkins said.
Springdale voters earlier this year approved a $224.6 million bond to pay for various projects throughout the city. Springdale's Fire Department plans to spend $16 million to build three stations and buy four vehicles. The last fire station built in the city was in 2015, Fire Chief Mike Irwin said.
Fayetteville built its most recent station in 2006, and Bentonville's last fire station was built in 2015.
Bentonville is preparing for its seventh fire station. The Planning Commission last month approved plans for the station to be built on 2.32 acres on Southwest Prime Avenue in the city's southwest.
NW News on 07/02/2018