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City hears update on new fire station
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Work on the city of Hinesville’s newest fire station is moving right along, city council members learned Thursday.

The $8.7 million facility is on track for a completion date of this time next year, Ryan Arnold told council members at their meeting last week.

Council members are expected to take up at their next meeting a resolution for a bond to help finance the new station.

The city council will take up asking the Liberty County Public Facilities Authority to issue a bond in the city’s behalf for $2.5 million. The city has earmarked $2.7 million from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax proceeds and $3.5 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

“So that left us with right at $2.5 million to issue debt,” said city chief financial officer Kim Ryon.

Ryon said the city can cover the bonds with proceeds from SPLOST 7, if voters approve the next round of SPLOST, and could pay it off before the possible sales tax extension expires.

There would be no pre-payment penalties, and the city is expected to get a rate of 4.25% at a 10-year maturity from Ameris Bank.

Council member Jason Floyd pointed out that rate is a point and a quarter below Wall Street prime lending rates. Ryon said that rate is expected to be available as long as the city council acts quickly.

Arnold added the first phase of Krebs Park is going well, with the concrete pads ready for the tennis courts and fencing getting erected. Also, steel for the under- construction business incubator roof is in, and bricks are expected to arrive in about three weeks.

Council members also approved a rezoning of 0.87 acres of land at the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Pacific Place that eventually will have a three-story apartment building. Each story will have four units.

“We might want to make sure we leave a buffer there, or someone will be complaining about people looking into their backyards,” said council member Karl Riles.

Liberty County Consolidated Planning Commission director Jeff Ricketson pointed out regulations call for a 6-foot fence and a 5-foot buffer to separate multi-family parcels from single-family ones.

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