Jackson Board of Aldermen considers upgrades to fire department building

A possible renovation of the Jackson Fire Rescue headquarters was one of the major subjects discussed Monday night during the Jackson Board of Aldermen's study session.

"The space we occupy was built in 1981 and the fire department has changed a lot in those 40 years," Jason Mouser, Jackson Fire Rescue chief, said during a half-hour PowerPoint presentation about the department and its many functions.

In 1981, he said those functions would have required just two slides — fire suppression and an organizational chart. In the years since, the department has added dozens of additional functions, which, in turn, require additional space for things such as administration, storage, maintenance and training.

Located at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and South Hope Street, the Fire Rescue headquarters also housed the Jackson Police Department until May 2020, when that department moved into a new police headquarters next door. That move opened the door for remodeling and reconfiguration of the fire department building.

Among some of the enhancements the building may need, Mouser said, could include upgrades in its HVAC and plumbing systems, renovations to staff sleeping quarters, additional storage and administrative areas, a sprinkler system for fire suppression, a fourth vehicle bay and a "baby drop off area" as required by Missouri statute.

"It sounds like a little bit more than new carpet and a fresh coat of paint that I was hoping for," Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said with a slight laugh.

Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs said the next step will likely be to seek proposals for a formal study of the building to determine how it can expanded and/or upgraded to meet the fire department's current and future needs.

In addition to upgrading the fire department headquarters, other matters discussed by the aldermen during their study session included possible abandonment of certain easements in the Fairway Estates Subdivision, the operation of all-terrain and utility vehicles on city streets, options for modifying parking in the 100 block of East Adams Street, and a proposed amendment to Jackson's street specifications.

Board actions

During their business meeting earlier in the evening, the aldermen:

• Adopted a resolution in support of a cost-sharing application with the Missouri Department of Transportation in connection with a proposed roundabout project at the intersection of North High Street and Deerwood Drive.
• Held a public hearing to consider 2021 tax rates for the city's parks and recreation, cemetery, band and general revenue funds and passed an ordinance approving those rates totaling 86.71 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
• Approved a bid from Insituform Technologies USC LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, in the amount of $92,192 for the city's 2021 sewer lining program and authorized a contract for the work.
• Approved a payment of $9,540 to the St. Louis engineering firm of Horner & Shifrin Inc. for work related to implementation of the city's water system facility plan.
• Approved a change order from Jokerst Inc. of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, in connection with work on phase two of Jackson's water system facility plan.
• Accepted a proposal form Coast to Coast Signs of Scott City for design and installation of an electronic directional and informational sign near the entrance to the Jackson Civic Center at a cost of $78,496, raised through donations to the Civic Center, and authorized a contract for the work.
• Set 6 p.m. Sept. 20 as the time and date for a public hearing on a special-use permit zoning request submitted by Jason Yeager that would allow a transmission repair and interlock auto installation business to operate at 525 Maple Drive, which is in an R-2 single-family residential zone.

It was also noted the Board of Aldermen's next meeting will be held Sept. 8 rather than Sept. 6, the first Monday of September, which is Labor Day.

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