Bella Vista Council OKs financing for firetruck

BELLA VISTA — The City Council approved financing to buy a new Pierce Class A custom pumper firetruck for Station 3 during a recent meeting.

The council agreed to a five-year loan through Regions Bank with a 2.09 pecent interest rate to cover the $464,346 truck.

Council member John Flynn said the city would save money by buying the truck with cash up front.

According to Pierce Manufacturing, the truck will be built once the order is placed and the Fire Department will have its truck within a year. The truck’s normal price is $483,574, but Pierce is offering a $22,129 pre-pay discount.

Staff attorney Jason Kelley said a bond was provided by the company as part of the purchase. During the previous week’s work session, he said this bond provides the city with protection if the truck is never delivered.

Kelley also said loan payments will need to begin immediately, though the city will not have its truck right away.

Council member Doug Fowler said he met with firefighters at Station 3, off Glasgow Road, where the truck would be placed.

“The truck that’s operating out of Station 3 right now, it’s a 2005 model and it’s currently owned by the county,” he said.

The city has the truck on loan, under the condition it handles all maintenance and pays for insurance on it. Because the city doesn’t own this truck, the county can take it back at any time and leave the department short a truck, he said.

The truck has cost the city roughly $30,000 in maintenance this year, he said. While there’s a reserve truck, it’s even older.

The current truck has difficulty climbing hills.

“It doesn’t really have the power that it needs to have,” he said. “It’s just time to replace it.”