Marysville Fire District admin staff moves into new home

MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Fire District's 12 administrative staff members moved into a new home last month, located at 1094 Cedar Ave., and Marysville Fire District Public Education Specialist and Public Information Officer Kristen Thorstenson recently gave The Marysville Globe a tour of the facilities.

The fire district acquired the 4,300-square-foot building from the Jubie family in October of 2008 and accepted bids to remodel it in December, before awarding a contract in May of this year for construction that started in July.

"We'd outgrown the public safety building that we shared with the police department," Thorstenson said. "They're still finishing the final bits of construction, from scuffs in the paint to doors that don't quite close right. It's just fine-tuning adjustments, though."

Thorstenson explained that the projected budget for remodeling the building to suit the needs of the fire district's administrative staff was $372,000, but the actual cost has come in at roughly $350,000, all of which will be covered by the district's reserve and capital outlay.

"We didn't need to ask for funds on this one," said Thorstenson, who credited the frugality of Marysville Fire Chief Greg Corn with making that possible.

Thorstenson cited the building's location as a plus, since it's situated in western Marysville near one of the fire district's busiest areas of service. The administration building is not designed to house firefighting crews or equipment. Instead, its remodel includes office spaces for department heads, conference rooms for training and meetings, a kitchen area and up-to-date Internet connections.