The Final Phase: Information on October 13 Bond Vote

Voting Information
Community Vote
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Polls Open 3-9 p.m. @ Shoreham Firehouse
49 Route 25A
Please wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Virtual Community Forum
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
7pm
To Join Via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 823 0778 6425
Password: 767240
Please submit questions by Tuesday, October 6 to esbrpfd@aol.com

Bond Vote Frequently Asked Questions.

Letter to the Community from the Fire Commissioners:

Dear Rocky Point Fire District Residents,

On October 13, we are asking the community’s consideration of a new $1 million bond to fund remaining construction at the North Shore Beach Firehouse. As you may recall, voters approved two bond propositions in 2017 totaling $8.5 million to replace the aging firehouse and purchase a new fire truck. Since 2017, however, construction costs have increased by approximately 10%.

We know the past six months have been a challenging time for our entire community and that many individuals and business have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current crisis has also had a direct impact on the construction industry. Several contractors we hired for the firehouse project went out of business due to the pandemic. The cost to hire new contractors to do the same work has risen since the time we originally went out to bid for the project.

These factors have left the fire district in need of additional funding to complete the firehouse. We have carefully examined the project to see where additional money could be saved; however, if you recall from our original proposal in 2017, the new firehouse is a “no frills” station, meaning nothing that was not essential was included. This leaves very little opportunity for us to cut costs. To complicate matters, all trucks and equipment from the North Shore Beach station are currently housed at no cost at the former Thurber Lumber Company property while the firehouse is under construction, thanks to the generosity of Landmark Properties. Since development of that site will soon begin, we must remove all of our equipment from that location in the near future. Quite simply, we need to complete the firehouse by that time, or we will have no location to store our trucks and equipment.

We are asking the community’s participation in voting on the additional funding on Tuesday, October 13. If approved, the additional cost impact of the new bond would be approximately $17-$18 a year for the average household. To learn more, please plan on joining our virtual community forum on October 7.

Our volunteers not only proudly serve the Rocky Point and Shoreham communities, but also live within those towns. They are your neighbors, your friends and the ones who answer the call to help those during times of trouble. We understand the challenges that lie ahead, but please be assured we are committed to protecting our community well into the future.