Nathalie Weinstein//July 15, 2010//
Portland City Council today voted to put a $72.4 million bond measure on the November ballot, part of which will pay to construct a new fire station and new emergency response center.
The new fire station would be paid for with $7.9 million from the bond and would be located near Portland’s waterfront. According to Portland Fire Chief John Klum, the fire bureau has had 274 response calls this year for water related accidents.
The new Emergency Response Center would be paid for with $4 million from the bond and would allow the city’s emergency response department to consolidate its facilities. Both the Emergency Response Center and new fire station will be built to LEED standards.
Commission Amanda Fritz was the only commissioner to vote against adding the bond measure to the November ballot. She said that residents already hurting in the recession could suffer more from the property-tax increase of $30 per $1,000 of assessed value that would result if the bond were to pass.