PORT TOWNSEND — East Jefferson Fire-Rescue won’t be moving its administration offices to the Mountain View Elementary School campus.
The topic of the district potentially renting space at the campus — for which the City of Port Townsend is currently negotiating a lease — was briefly discussed at the district’s joint board meeting of fire commissioners and City Council members Tuesday night.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Chief Chuck Tandy, who toured the building earlier this week with Port Townsend Police Chief Conner Daily, said while he believed the concept of working in one location with the local police department was a good one, he didn’t see it as economically feasible.
“They have made us a good offer to rent the space,” Tandy said.
“But to remodel the location for our use would be quite expensive, and I don’t see we have that in the budget.”
The space the city offered to the fire district was the former site of the library inside the school. Tandy said he believed the area would need substantial remodeling.
“We are looking at a cost of $20,000 or more,” he said.
“At that price, we are comfortable where we are.”
City Councilman David King, who sits on the joint fire board, said he believes the city is likely to reach a lease agreement with the Port Townsend School District at Tuesday’s meeting.
“It’s very important to the city that that place be active,” King said.
“But I don’t think it’s critical that the fire district be in it.”
No decision was made at the meeting to respond to the city, and no direction was given to staff to continue investigating the location.
The Port Townsend School Board voted to offer the lease to the city July 13 and the City Council will make a decision about the lease for the vacated school campus Aug. 3.
Under the proposed lease, the city would pay $66,000 annually for use of the Mountain View campus for five years, beginning in September.
The terms of the proposed lease have the city paying all utility charges, taxes and assessments.
The proposed lease also says the city of Port Townsend will pay the school district in monthly installments.
The school district would reserve the right to use some parts of the campus for classrooms or other uses, the proposed lease says.
Beginning Aug. 31, 2014, the lease would continue on a year-to-year basis, unless either the district or the city terminates it.
Two years’ notice would be necessary for termination.
City Manager David Timmons told the council Monday that there was one portion of the lease was still undecided: what to do in the event of a catastrophic systems failure.
Timmons said even if the fire district does not move into the location, he hopes to conduct joint training exercises with the district at the site.
Timmons said he hopes many organizations will be joining the Port Townsend Police at the site, including the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market, OlyCAP, the state Department of Licensing, the YMCA, the Port Townsend Food Bank and the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
