Council approves purchase of tanker for rural fires

Nevada Daily Mail

Following an extended discussion, the Nevada City Council voted 5-0 during its Tuesday night meeting to accept the low bid of $119,000 from Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus for a used 2008 Deep South Freightliner Tanker for the fire department to use for rural fire response.

And in a related matter the council voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving a lease-purchase agreement with U.S. Bancorp Government Leasing and Financing Inc. to purchase the tanker truck and the refunding of a pumper truck. With the restructuring of the debt the $87,341 in rural fire fees will cover the annual debt service on the tanker.

Council member Jayne Novak, said that while she was not opposed to the purchase of the tanker, she felt the cost should be justified because Nevada residents should not be paying for a tanker that may have decreasing use as Nevada's rural fire customers switch to a rural department rather than pay Nevada $150 per year versus $30 per year to a rural department and not have their fire insurance decrease.

"The justification is the response time is extremely valuable to them," city manager JD Kehrman said, adding that is the result of 24-7 staffing.

To significantly reduce the ISO rating, which would reduce the insurance rates for homes in the county, would require the city to spend considerable money and acquire a much larger tanker.

Kehrman said in the event the city were to annex rural property into the city the tanker would be useful to provide fire protection to that area, since the homes would be on rural water and there would be limited numbers of hydrants available.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0, to approve the re-appointment of Jack Bastow to a three-year term on the building appeals board.

Voted 5-0, to approve the reappointment of Dean Stutesman to a three-year term on the building appeals board.

* Voted 5-0, to approve the re-appointment of J.C. Wiseman to the building appeals board.

* Voted 5-0, to approve the re-appointment of Jim Liley to a two-year term on the building appeals board.

* Voted 5-0, to approve the re-appointment of Bob Coonrod to a three-year term on the infrastructure board.

* Voted 5-0, to approve the re-appointment of Jack Bastow to a three-year term on the infrastructure board.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance accepting right-of-way easements for the sewer interceptor replacement project.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a general ordinance updating the city's administrative code to remain consistent with the interpretation of the Missouri legislature regarding Home Rule cities.

* Voted 5-0, to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving amendment No. 1 to the city's development agreement with Randy Beard for Atlantic Estates. This amendment allows Beard to build a second house before the road is constructed as required by the development agree.