The first 30 minutes of Monday night’s Ellsworth City Council meeting may go into the history books as “the buck stops here” session.

One-by-one, city department heads stepped to the podium to outline their capital improvement needs. It was a lengthy list.

Fire Chief Ralph Doubrava said he was under the impression the department had a policy of setting aside money to cover equipment and other costs. That has not been the case.

The department’s engines are being used past their retirement age and other equipment also needs replacement he said.

This past week, Ellsworth City Administrator Dustin Stambaugh helped him apply for a $180,000 grant to buy gear for firefighters. Some of the department’s gear is 20 years old Doubrava said.

In explaining the importance of proper equipment, Doubrava said the city has an ISO rating of 2, a score that determines how well the fire department can protect a community. Insurance companies use the score to help set home and business insurance rates. Scores go as high as 10, and the lower the rating, the better. Doubrava said he recently attended a meeting of fire chiefs, many of whom were surprised that a volunteer department in a small town such as Ellsworth could achieve such a good rating.

“That is an incredible accomplishment,” he said.

The score is based on access to water, equipment, training and other factors.

One engine costs $600,000, and the price tag on a fire truck can be $1.5 million Doubrava said.

“Yes, this stuff is expensive ... and there’s no money for it,” he said.

City treasurer Angela Mueller presented an even bleaker picture of conditions at Ellsworth City Hall, which was built in the 1930s. The building has been the object of improvements over the years, however, there is much left to do. City Hall has a new boiler, but it only heats the city offices. There is no insulation in the gymnasium. Wiring needs to be replaced.

“A lot of you don’t realize how much we’re falling apart. It’s really bad,” Mueller said.

She recommended the council decide whether members want to repair City Hall, find a new location or design another building.

Other department heads added streets, sidewalks and new vehicles to the list.

Following the presentations, Stambaugh said his aim in asking for input from department heads was to make sure council members were aware of the city’s needs and to put them in a capital improvement frame of mind. Everything does not have to be done at once, he said. City workers already have started smaller sidewalk projects.

“We can start tackling these big problems one chunk at a time,” Stambaugh said.

He promised to search for as many grants as possible to support improvements. City Hall, for instance, is on the National Historic Register, which could make it eligible for funding. Making a list and checking off items will actually save money Stambaugh said, because the city’s needs will only become more expensive as time passes.