With members of the Littlefork City Council and the Littlefork Ambulance Service Board of Directors in consensus Thursday, the next step to an improved facility for the area’s ambulance service is to seek an architect, according to City Administrator Mike Fairchild.
Hoping to stay inside a cost estimate of approximately $90,000 including architect’s fees, Fairchild said the two groups agreed that a rough floor plan is ready for “fine-tuning” by an architect. Fairchild has been assigned the search.
The hope is that the project can still be completed this year. But if the long-proposed plan reveals a significantly higher cost, the project will go back into discussion, Fairchild told The Daily Journal.
Proposed is building a new addition onto the existing Littlefork Fire Hall. The addition would include a larger main bay with an office and a bathroom. Fairchild said basic plumbing, footings and the foundational slab would potentially be accomplished by Littlefork maintenance staff, with contractors hired to finish the project.
Because part of the area he represents, including Big Falls, is included in the Littlefork Ambulance Taxing District, County Commissioner Mike Hanson was in attendance to gather information at Thursday’s meeting. County Commissioner Wade Pavleck, also a member of the Littlefork Ambulance Service Board of Directors, attended along with taxing district directors Anita Gray, Zela Imhof and Raymond Johnson. Remaining members of the board are Dave Larson and Lynette Fiedler. All of Littlefork’s councilors as well as Fairchild attended. Mayor Shane Williams was absent.
Fairchild said he hopes that a meeting with the Koochiching County Board within the next few weeks will bring input. Koochiching County is the taxing agent for Littlefork’s ambulance service.
“We want to keep everybody informed on the issues,” he said.
But Fairchild added that the taxing goal for the improved facility is not to bring any increases, noting that the currently approved tax levy is the same as the previous year.
