South End Fire Station Vote on Monday, 9/15

A special Town Meeting will be held Monday in order to vote for funding for a South End Fire Station.

The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Seekonk High School, 261 Arcade Avenue.

The warrant reads: “To see if the Town will appropriate a sum not to exceed $9,500,000 to fund the construction of the South End Fire Station, including utility and other site improvements incidental or directly related to such construction, necessary architectural, engineering or other provisional and legal expenses and fees associated with the project, storage and moving expenses, furnishings and equipment and for all other costs incidental or related thereto: and as funding thereof, to authorize the Treasurer with the approval of the Select Board to borrow said funds pursuant to G.L. c44 Section 7 or any other enabling authority and issue bonds and notes thereof; to authorize the Town to apply for any grants or loans available for the project, and further, that the amount of authorized borrowing under this vote shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received for the project prior to the issuance of bonds or notes under this vote; provided however, that the vote taken hereunder shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters of the Town at an election to exempt from the limitation on total taxes imposed under G.L. c 59 Section 21 C (Proposition 2 ½) the amounts required to pay the principal and interest on the borrowing authorized by this vote.”

The project was rejected at the May town meeting by a vote of 112 – 108. A two thirds vote was needed to pass the article.

Voters at the May 2020 town meeting allocated $425,000 for the design of the facility at the site of the former school administration building at 69 School Street. The town has since demolished that property. The 8300 square foot building will consist of three components, including dispatch, living quarters, and fire suppression.

The project has been the subject of much debate over the last few years.

Select Board member Gary Sagar cited the town’s growing population and the need to reduce response times as reasons for why a new fire station is necessary.

In July 2024, Fire Chief Shaun Whalen shared his belief that a tax increase to pay for the project would have been too much of a burden on residents.

Whalen explained the town’s other expenses had to be taken into consideration. $1 million will be used to pay Seekonk’s share of the Tri-County Regional Vocational High School’s new building.

Whalen noted that if the station was to be built, some firefighters would need to be reassigned from the other two stations – the Banna station on Pine Street and the Police/Fire Headquarters on Taunton Avenue. Additional staff would also need to be hired.

“It’s been very clear the need for a South End fire station, said Select Board member Michael Healy, who previously served as Fire Chief. “There’s been a staffing problem for a long long time. We have to collectively, as this board, decide how we’re going to get staffing done.”