Noel Council Tackles Fire Truck Repair
Noel city council members brainstormed creative financing options Tuesday night to help pay for repairing a needed fire truck.
Council members agreed to authorize Fire Chief Brandon Barrett the option of spending up to $10,000 to have the downed fire truck repaired.
Barrett told aldermen and women that the expense to fix the fire truck was more than originally anticipated. Though initial projections were thought to be in the $5,000 arena, the mechanic believes repairs will cost more in the $8,000 to $10,000 area, he said.
City council member Allie Peck said the city didn’t have the money to pay for that kind of large expense.
William Rose, who acted as mayor pro tem in Lewis Davis’ absence, said the primary function of city government is to protect the welfare of the people. “We have to soften the impact somehow,” he said, referring to the large expenditure.
City council members asked Barrett several questions and discussed various scenarios. Barrett said the fire truck is a good one, despite the impending repairs. Having the 1987 truck non-operable puts the department down to one pumper truck, he said. To maintain ISO ratings, the department is required to have two operational engines, he added.
Other used trucks in good working condition will cost far more than the $10,000, Barrett said.
Though Barrett has approximately $10,000 remaining in his budget, the expenditure will wipe out his remaining funds for the rest of the year, he said.
After a lengthy discussion, members agreed to authorize Barrett to move ahead with repairing the fire truck. Council members are interested in securing a loan with a local bank for financing. Peck also is interested in seeing if Tyson Foods will donate to the cause.
The recent sale of the recycling center has brought in $22,500, although those funds are earmarked for insurance that is due. Those monies, however, will provide some liquidity the next week, or officials can look into other funds, officials said.
Rose said he was asked, before the recent property tax initiative, what the city would do if the tax didn’t pass. “God help us,” Rose replied. “We better start praying,” he told the council.
In other business, the council agreed to move ahead with placing some lockable guards near a low-water bridge and at the entrance of a city park. Last month, Marshal Paul Gardner asked the council to consider purchasing some metal barricades to prevent people from crossing the bridge or entering the city park during flooding or other weather-related conditions. Several people, including about eight firemen, recently searched for a man and his 18-month-old baby who they believed were in the river. The man had attempted to cross over the lowwater bridge that had water running over it. Volunteers could see the vehicle swept away, upside down in the river.
After searching for nearly five hours, volunteers discovered that the two were safe. Volunteers were thankful for the outcome but are concerned about those who try to cross over flooded surfaces with strong waters.
Rose told the city council that the city attorney had checked into the possibility of the lockable guards and told Mayor Davis that he didn’t foresee any problem with moving ahead with the idea.
Gardner said the lockable barriers would prevent people from entering an unsafe area. People sometimes move barricades or go around them, he said. People sometimes enter the city park, even if barricade tape is up. Folks then damage the park by causing ruts in the mud, which is expensive for city crews to fix, he added.
In other business, the council voted to create a prosecutor clerk position and heard from Beverly Barclay, with I’m Your Huckleberry animal rescue and rehoming.
Barclay said the organization is working with several communities across McDonald County. She said numerous calls about stray and nuisance animals come from Noel.