The committee is in place and the anticipated time to break ground on a new $2.3 million fire station in Washington is next summer. At their meeting Tuesday, the council approved a 10-member committee including council members, fire fighters, city staff, and emergency personnel to spearhead the project. Council member Kathy Salazar said she was happy to see a closer gender balance than that of the Wellness Park Committee. At a council meeting in March, City Administrator Brent Hinson explained the new fire station will be financed by the City as the new library and downtown street scape bonds retire in 2018. Hinson adds, “There is no proposed impact on the tax levy from this project. We have been planning for five years to complete a number of important community priorities without impacting the existing levy due to this anticipated bond retirement.” The council is building a new fire station because the current building shared by the fire department, police department and city hall doesn’t have enough space for all staff, records, and equipment. The new fire station will be built next to the current building.