Ketchikan’s Main Street fire station was built in 1943. It’s been vacant and used for storage since 2011, (KRBD file photo by Leila Kheiry)
The City of Ketchikan is moving forward with plans to sell the old fire hall on Main Street. A step in that direction is setting a minimum bid for the 1943-era building.
The Ketchikan City Council will vote Thursday on a proposed minimum bid of $655,733. That’s the suggestion from City Attorney Mitch Seaver, based on the borough’s assessed value of the property.
In a memo, Seaver writes that a minimum bid needs to be established before he can write an ordinance, which is needed to surplus the property and invite bids. Seaver says in the memo that an ordinance could be ready for the council in February.
Also Thursday, the council will again consider approving a contract with ECG Management Consultants to help the city negotiate a new lease for the hospital building. The current lease with PeaceHealth expires in 2023.
There were concerns during previous meetings about conflicts of interest, because the consulting firm is working with PeaceHealth on another project in another state; and recently started working with Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium on another project.
In a memo to the council, City Manager Karl Amylon writes that individual consultants can be removed from the team working with Ketchikan, if the city believes there’s a conflict and makes that request. He adds that while there are still four years before the lease expires, there’s a lot of preparation the city needs to accomplish before starting negotiations with PeaceHealth and/or asking for new proposals.
Thursday’s council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in city council chambers. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
