Commission votes to expand ambulance base

The Cole County Commission has approved the expansion of the ambulance/emergency management base on Southridge Drive.

By a 2-1 vote, commissioners approved an agreement with Ameresco for the work at a cost of $1.2 million.

Presiding Commissioner Marc Ellinger and Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher voted in favor while Western District Commissioner Kris Scheperle voted against the agreement.

Scheperle said he believed the cost was too high for what they will be getting. He said it should be more like $700,000. Scheperle said he had looked at what a new building with 900 more square feet would cost, and it was $1.5 million. With the proposal that was passed, Scheperle said they lost storage space in the living area and also lose drains in the ambulance bay area.

The money to pay for the work will come out of county reserves. The work is to be completed later this summer.

The project will expand the living areas for ambulance crews, offices and bathrooms and make all these upgrades ADA compliant.

The biggest part of the project is bringing the ambulance bays to the front of the building.