City council votes to spend $300,000 on new fire truck for Wellsville
November 18th, 2011 Posted in OpinionBy Allie Jeppson
WELLSVILLE – A new fire truck for the city has finally been chosen and approval to purchase the vehicle was given at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The motion to purchase the truck, with a stipulation that the contract and financial statements were to be reviewed by the city attorney, passed unanimously.
Although many trucks were considered, the fire department decided on a Rosenbauer Interface engine; a multipurpose vehicle that not only serves as a back up to all of the city’s current trucks, but is also cheaper, Fire Chief Jeremy Poppleton said.
“As a department we wanted to make sure that this truck is going to fit the needs of the residents as well as the safety aspect of it,” Poppleton said.
The total cost of the truck will be $304,230, with funds coming from a $3 tax implemented earlier in the year.
The council decided that a $75,000 down payment would be made on the truck. The first payment on the truck would be due in a year’s time so as to have a sufficient payment built up. It will take approximately nine months for the truck to be assembled and delivered, and an 8-year contract will soon be in place.
Also discussed during the meeting was the violation of the city’s recently amended nuisance code. The code states that any land that fails to meet requirements pertaining to removal of weeds, garbage, objects or structures will be cleaned up by the city at the owner’s expense. Joe Reynolds, owner of a garage located at 39 E. 300 South, has been given multiple warnings but has failed to comply with the code. He told Mayor Thomas Bailey that he would have it done by July.
More than enough time has been given already, said Councilman Carl Leatham.
But with the winter season and snow coming soon the city won’t be able to do much about it either. We might as well wait, said Bailey.
The council voted to grant Reynolds an extension until July 1, 2012. If the land is not cleared by that time, it will be cleared by the city at Reynolds’ expense.
“In the future we shouldn’t have a building permit issued until conditions are met,” Bailey said.
In other news, the council:
– Reviewed, approved and authorized signature of all documents associated with the Red Slide Subdivision.
– Approved the Rules of Procedure & Order for city council meetings.
– Conducted the canvass of the 2011 general election.
– Reported on individual departments.
NW
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.