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By CHRIS SHIPMAN
Hometown News
Woodruff City Council met Monday night. Council , with all members presnrt except for Tonu Kennedy. Council unanimously approved a proposal by Fire Chief Steve Quinn to purchase a new fire engine. Whether the county approves a general obligation bond to purchase two new engines, a ladder truck and equipment, build a new substation, and renovate the main station, Quinn said, the fire department still needs this engine. Moreover, he said, purchasing the engine would be a show of faith to the county council when representatives of the city and fire department go before the county finance committee sometime probably in June.
Bid specifications for the engine were basically as follows: 5-man cab; 400 horsepower Cummins Engine with an added engine brake to control deceleration; automatic transmission; 1,500 gallon per minute pump – which is less than what the department currently uses but adequate and less expensive, Quinn stated in his proposal; and a 750 gallon tank, which is more than what the department currently carries. Quinn submitted an 80-page bid specification to five manufacturers and received two bids. The low bid of $363,750 for the engine was from Stephens Fire Equipment of Morganton, N.C.
Separate specs were sent out for loose equipment, such as a thermal imaging camera, spare masks and air cylinders, and basic extrication equipment. The equipment list was sent to four vendors with a provision that the department could purchase the equipment piecemeal rather than all from one vendor, giving the department flexibility to pick and choose the least expensive equipment from each vendor and save money. All four vendors submitted bids, and after reviewing and selecting the individual pieces of equipment, the cost comes to $79,690.80.
One request for bid was sent for radio equipment to the only authorized Motorola dealer in the area. The request was for a VHF mobile radio for proper communication between Spartanburg Communications and all Spartanburg County fire departments; a UHF mobile radio for proper communication between Greenville County fire departments, Woodruff police and Spartanburg EMS; five portable walkie talkies as required by ISO for each seated position; and a truck-mounted repeater, needed because the distance of the district from Spartanburg Communications creates many “dead zones” in which dispatch cannot copy radio traffic. The bid was for $7,502.68.
The total cost of truck and equipment came to $450,943.48. Delivery of the truck would be late February 2010. Financed at 4 percent, payments would come out to $54,787.08 for 10 years. The first payment is not due until February 2011. This is the same year the current G.O. Bond Line Item in the fire department budget for $55,000 would close out. The city would only have to front the first payment in 2011, and after that the city could use the additional $55,000 freed up after the line item closes out to make the payments on the engine. The first payment would be the hardest, Quinn said, but the department could shift its budget for a year to make up more than half of the first payment with money it would save on the purchase and maintenance of equipment and on building maintenance if the current bond issue passes county council.
The unit will not require a tax increase and will not place any extra burden upon the taxpayers of the city or the fire service area, Quinn said. “We knew the city would not be able to outright purchase a new vehicle of this amount given the current economic situation so that presented us with some obstacles early that we knew were going to require some creative financing,” he added. “We feel this option makes the best economic sense to the city without having to institute a tax increase, during these times, that would not have been a very popular decision. The morale of the fire department has been very high over my first 11 months and this just adds to the excitement and enthusiasm of the firefighters.”
2009-2010 Budget
Council approved the first reading of the 2009-2010 budget. General Fund total revenues were budgeted at $2,207,500 and Sewer Fund revenues at $457,500. The budget is about $100,000 more than last year. The added revenue includes a grant of $28,500 from the state for maintaining sidewalks and one of $18,000 from the Department of Justice as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which will be used to combat domestic violence. Police fines are up about $30,000, property taxes up about $20,000, and delinquent taxes up about $10,000. The city will announce a date for public hearing of the budget ordinance this week. Second reading will be in June.
Other Business
Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the Woodruff City Zoning Ordinance and an ordinance to repeal the Woodruff City Municipal Code Title 5 Chapter 2 and adopt the current editions of the building code series approved the South Carolina Building Codes Council.
Cynthia Taylor, owner of the Turtle Parfait, was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals by unanimous vote. Woodruff firefighters Kevin Meadows, Justin Miller, and Eric Davis were congratulated for completing the rookie firefighter course at the Spartanburg Emergency Services Academy. On May 15, they completed training, compressing two to three years of night classes into eight weeks of all - day classes Monday through Friday. Quinn said the department has had four firefighters complete the course in the last 10 months, and praised his volunteers for their dedication.
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