The fire department is looking to make some improvements, assuming voters are on board.
The city council voted during its August regular meeting to pursue a $20 million bond, to be secured by a 1 percent sales tax, to support building a new police station and court facility, raze and rebuild Fire Station 3 on Glasgow Road and construct a fire training facility. This sales tax increase cannot be approved by city government alone and must go to the voters for approval. City officials have previously expressed interest in getting the issue on the March 2020 primary ballot.
Fire chief Steve Sims said that if these measures are approved by voters, the revised Station 3 will allow the department to better serve the highlands with more staff, which in turn will allow the department to have more vehicles on-site, including an ambulance -- something the Highlands station currently lacks.