CARSTAIRS — Town council has approved borrowing $1.6 million to be used in the construction of the new fire hall.
The move came by way of vote on second and third reading of Bylaw No. 2016 during the May 25 council meeting. The vote came following a public hearing held the same day.
The project's total cost has been pegged at $4 million, with Mountain View County contributing $2 million and the Town of Carstairs contributing $2 million, including $400,000 from reserves.
The new hall will be located on Mandalay Boulevard, on the town’s east side.
Chief administrative officer Carl McDonnell says the next step in the process will be choosing a contractor. Tenders for the project closed last week, with town and county officials expected to review the tenders prior to sending recommendations to town and county councils.
“We will go through the tenders we’ve received and see how close they are to the budget, and then we will follow up with the four companies that submitted packages,” said McDonnell.
The recommendations could come to both councils within the next few weeks, he said.
The $1.6-million loan will be for a period of 15 years and would come from Alberta Capital Finance Authority or another authorized financial institution by the issuance of debentures and on terms and conditions outlined in the bylaw.
The existing fire hall will be re-purposed for use by the town, he said.
