Medford City Council has unanimously decided to hold a public hearing before raising fees to help pay for a new $9.5 million fire station in north Medford.

The public hearing, which will be held sometime in November, will seek reaction from residents for a proposed public safety fee increase of 50 cents from the current $12.49 a month.

Raising fees is one of three steps needed to pay for a new Fire Station 15, which will replace the existing 50-year-old facility at 2124 Roberts Road near North Medford High School.

The council at its Sept. 19 meeting also authorized using $4 million in reserves and tapping into a special fund, primarily derived from cannabis tax dollars, that would provide $300,000 a year over the next 20 years.

Councilor Sarah Spansail, who has steadfastly opposed raising fees because of the hardship on many local residents, applauded holding a public hearing on the issue.

“I thought I might have to vote ‘no’ on this,” she said.

The existing fire station, the oldest of the city’s five stations, doesn’t meet seismic standards, only has one bay for fire apparatus instead of three and also has “teeter-totter toilets.” It is also three times smaller than the other fire stations.

In a 2023 master plan, a consulting firm gave Fire Station 15 a “D” rating because of its poor general condition.

Problems with the station include collapsed flooring in one room, water accumulation in the apparatus bay because of a low section and no engine exhaust fan. The building doesn’t comply with disability requirements, has no individual sleeping quarters and lacks an exercise room.

Once the new station is built, it would be able to house an emergency medical services team, which would speed up call responses in northeast Medford.

Construction could start in spring 2025, and the new station could open toward the end of 2026.

Councilor Nick Card said the new fire station will be a much needed asset for the community.

“We have gone through a lot of work through a variety of study sessions looking at how to spend this money and how to fund this fire station,” he said.

The $300,000 a year will be taken out of the Council Community Initiative Fund, which is primarily used to help support local organizations or special projects.

During the same council meeting, eight local groups and organizations were awarded a total of $570,000, including for Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon scholarships, swim scholarships, restoration of the Alba Park fountain, the Southern Oregon Historical Society, counseling services for the homeless, funding to help recruit healthcare professionals, the Downtown Medford Association and grants to improve planter strips in the city.

The $300,000 a year, which represents a big chunk of the approximately $1 million in cannabis taxes annually, is of concern to councilors because it will mean less money for local projects and organizations for the next 20 years to pay off the loan for the new fire station.

Councilor Kevin Stine said that since the council has been discussing using these dollars for the fire station, the city has received more requests from local organizations.

“There are more requests than money available,” he said. “It’s going to be harder on future councils to do these things.”

In addition to five fire stations, the Medford Fire Department has headquarters located in the Lausmann Annex next to Medford City Hall.

In 2013, a police, fire and revenue bond, paid for through an earlier public safety fee increase, resulted in the construction of fire stations 12, 13 and 14. Fire Station 16 is 25 years old.