HALLOWELL — As city officials continue to debate how much to spend to fix the fire station, work will begin on one area that everyone can agree on: the bathroom.

The City Council has unanimously endorsed a cleanup of the Second Street building’s second floor and an overhaul of the bathroom, which does not even have a shower for firefighters.

Before approving that, however, councilors disagreed last week about the purpose of the renovations and how much money should be put into the building, given that a new fire station probably will be built.

City Manager Michael Starn proposed spending about $25,000, out of $50,000 that has been set aside for repairs, on the bathroom, cleanup, a new boiler, new wiring, refinishing or replacing the wood floors, repairing ceilings and walls, and other work.

Councilor Pete Schumacher, who is also a firefighter, said it would be wasteful to spend more than $10,000 when no one knows how the building will be used after Hallowell constructs a new home the fire department, possibly in a few years.

Fire Chief Mike Grant thinks the immediate challenge is making the fire station more comfortable for the firefighters by re-doing the bathroom, patching holes, painting and fixing the floor.

“And then I think we should stop,” Grant told councilors at a meeting last Monday. “And you need to move forward with what you want to do with the building from here on in.”

Grant said the firefighters also plan to use their own money to replace the appliances in the kitchen.

Councilor Steve Vellani said that when he made a motion earlier this year to request proposals for renovations, he meant it to include the entire second floor — which has an apartment, an office and a meeting hall — and his primary concern was the terrible condition of a public building.

“If it had the added attraction of being used by the firefighters, then so be it,” Vellani said. “I’ve been trying to get work done on that building for years, and it’s been ignored because we’re going to build a new fire station. And I don’t think that’s a very good reason.”

Councilors Ed Cervone and Mark Walker also said they are focused on maintaining a neglected property as a city asset, sentiments that were echoed by Mayor Charlotte Warren.

“What we’ve talked about for months and months is we’re going to put some money into a piece of property that the citizens of Hallowell own — not the firefighters,” Warren said. “That’s what we’re talking about, is fixing up a public building.”

Councilor Mark Sullivan said a new fire station or public safety building could be seven or eight years away, so spending $25,000 would be a worthwhile investment.

Councilor Lisa Harvey-McPherson requested estimates and more information about the heating and electrical systems work, which she said could be big-ticket items. She suggested going ahead with the cleanup and bathroom.

The City Council could decide on more repairs at their meeting in early May.

Starn said city staff will do as much of the repair and renovation work as possible, and Code Enforcement Officer Maureen Aucoin will receive a stipend to supervise the project.

Susan McMillan — 621-5645

smcmillan@mainetoday.com