The City Board of Estimates met yesterday afternoon to hear testimony from representatives of city agencies requesting allocation of funds in the proposed 2003 capital budget.

City agencies including Monona Terrace, the public library system, the Madison Police Department and the Department of Transportation were available for questioning yesterday by the members of the Board of Estimates in the first of two days of testimony.

Assistant to the mayor, Ryan Mulcahy, said he is hopeful that money the fire department requested to build a new fire station will be granted.

The fire station in question would be on the far northeast side of the city on Nelson Road.

“Building a new fire station will put [the fire department] in a better position to respond at the edge of the city,” Mulcahy said.

More than $3 million has been requested for State Street repairs. $10,000 has been requested to launch a preliminary study for swimming pools in the city of Madison by appointing a committee that will be created to evaluate how many pools might be feasible, potential operating costs and a tentative timeline for construction of the pools.

Paying for the costs of the Mayor’s Conference in June, particularly overtime pay for police officers, was discussed without resolution.

Longer-term items to be addressed by the Board of Estimates include a library department request to purchase land for potential library locations, an additional fire station and reconstruction of both State Street and East Washington Avenue. Construction of a mid-State Street parking ramp next to Pizzeria Uno in 2004 and a West Washington Corridor Parking Ramp in 2005 is set to be discussed tomorrow.

The city council will vote Nov. 12 on whether to approve the proposed budget, Mulcahy said.