Town Council endorses phased fire boat purchase plan

La Conner Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra has for years sounded the alarm about his department’s inability to fight downtown blazes from Swinomish Channel or make timely water rescues.

The simple answer, he and Assistant Fire Chief Adam Avery have said, is to purchase a fire boat.

What has not been so simple is finding a way to pay for it, even though the original estimated price of $600,000 has fallen to about $425,000.

With necessity being the mother of invention, La Conner Hook and Ladder and town officials agreed in principle last week on a phased approach to acquire the fire boat.

The plan calls for the town to approve a budget amendment that commits it to spend $163,000 toward a hull and trailer, seeking further funding support for equipping the boat from partners such as The Port of Skagit and March Point refineries, and, if necessary, issuing a bond to cover any remaining balance.

Sedro-Woolley boatbuilder T.J. Lowry presented the framework for the three-tiered blueprint to the town council July 9.

Council members revisited the plan July 23, inviting what councilor and town finance committee member Rick Dole termed an “excellent discussion” that pushes the process forward.

Reinstra asked the council July 9 to act promptly on Lowry’s estimate of $427,000 and accompanying offer to build the boat in phases.

“I don’t think anyone is going to beat him,” Reinstra said of the Full-Time Custom Fabrication and Machine Shop estimate. “This is exciting for them. They’re looking for a fire department to attach their name to. The problem, for me, with waiting is that we’re talking about a lifesaving apparatus, and we’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting. I’ve been putting a lot of time and effort in on this, and the volunteers have put a lot of time and effort in on this.”

Reinstra said Lowry will honor his cost estimate through 2024.

“It does sound like time is of the essence,” said council member MaryLee Chamberlain.

Council member Ivan Carlson, who is also a town firefighter and lobbied state lawmakers for fire boat funding, said the refineries would be more likely to provide equipment over cash.

“The refineries like to equip boats with stuff like light bars and electronics. That’s what they prefer doing,” he said.

Town Administrator Scott Thomas said state lawmakers prefer kicking in funds nearer the end rather than at the start of such projects.

“When we spoke with legislators in Olympia, they told us that they don’t want to be the first to put dollars in,” he said. “They want to be the last to put dollars in.”

Thomas backed the push to seek multiple funding sources.

“My goal is to have as many people other than the town pay for this,” he said.

Short of that, Mayor Marna Hanneman suggested that residents also jump on the bandwagon.

“I’m going to request that everyone in this room buy a lottery ticket,” she said. “If you win, donate the money to the fire boat.”

In other council business:

* Members approved a town employee personnel policy request that adds the death of a dog or cat to bereavement leave.

* The council learned from Public Works Director Brian Lease that bidding for an approved grant-funded pedestrian safety project on Maple Avenue and Road Street exceeded engineering estimates and will have to be re-bid. The town will be able to do some work before the re-bid.

* Hanneman assured the public that the Town has no intention of selling Town Hall. She said it was merely an option raised during a wide-open brainstorming session at the council’s summer retreat last month. “It was just an idea that was thrown out there,” said Hanneman. “We’re not selling anything.”

* Resident Linda Talman suggested that the town periodically include on water bills a description of its code regarding penalties for unauthorized tree removals in the Historic Preservation District.