By Mark Cowling | Pinal Central
FLORENCE — The Town Council Monday approved estimates for police and fire substations to be built in the next 10 years for submittal to the town’s development impact fee consultant.
Impact fees are charged on new construction to help growth pay for itself. The police impact fee currently adds $754 to the cost of a new home. With no imminent plans to build a new police station, town staff had suggested suspending the fee at the council’s Sept. 5 meeting. But the council disagreed, noting rapid growth on the horizon.
Town staff estimate the cost of the first new substation would be $18 million, with total operational costs of $3.1 million in the first year. The second substation is estimated to cost $24.8 million, with operational costs of $3.6 million in the first year. Police vehicle purchases are estimated at $800,000 in the next five years.
