GODFREY — A new pumper for the Godfrey Fire Protection District will be rebid after the board balked at the cost of financing the truck picked by firefighters during a sometimes contentious meeting Wednesday afternoon.
About 30 people, including numerous firefighters, attended the meeting, held Wednesday afternoon at Fire Station No. 1.
The board voted 2-1 to reject extending the payment period for a new pumper by one year with the expectation that the sale of one or two used pumpers and reduced maintenance cost would pay the difference. Instead the pumper will be rebid, with the notation that the actual price cannot exceed $421,000.
The GFPD has $500,000 from the sale of land to the village of Godfrey to pay for a new pumper, which is needed because of the age and increased maintenance cost of several of its vehicles. It could also access about $30,000 in special equipment funds, including $10,000 that was recently donated to the department.
The low bid for a new pumper that met the Fire Department’s specifications came in at a total of $494,721, including new equipment. However, it would take an additional $60,000 to pay for the financing over 10 years.
That bid, from KME Fire Apparatus, was the lowest bid meeting all the department’s specifications. Fire District attorney James Sinclair said that to keep within the $500,000 the actual cost would have to be approximately $421,000 to $428,000.
Some of the bids were slightly less than $400,000, but did not meet all those specs.
Firefighters suggested that a decrease in the cost of maintenance to vehicles and the sale of at least one of the district’s old pumpers could pay the difference.
Trustee Maurice Hand then motioned to go that route, leading to almost two hours of discussion before the motion died for a lack of a second.
While Hand said that he believed the district should stay within the $500,000, he could accept adding an additional year to the payment schedule.
“In 11 years we should be in better financial shape than we are today,” he said.
The wide-ranging discussion went from the general financial shape of the District’s general fund to comparisons of engine and transmission combinations on various truck bids.
A larger engine was one of the requirements of the bid. Representatives of two of the fire truck companies were there and said they could upgrade the engine in some of their secondary bids.
Firefighters urged the board to find a way to finance the truck.
Trustee Terry Ford, who had raised a number of questions, said the district could not afford to finance the necessary funds based on the hope that the sale of equipment and reduced maintenance costs would cover the difference.
He noted that one of the reasons for the Fire District’s financial position was that in the past the board would always spend “a few thousand more” in purchases hoping that the financial situation would improve, and that has not occurred.
The Fire District has an operating budget of about $1.6 million, with another $500,000 for pensions and related costs, according to Fire Chief Erik Kambarian.
Sinclair said that between 2013-2018, the District’s general fund year-end balance has dropped to $138,000 from $593,000.
Ford said there were a lot of things he would like to do, including buy a more expensive pumper and hire more firefighters.
“The reality is we can’t do that, we don’t have the money,” he said.
Board President Steven Rynders also said he opposed spending more than $500,000 total. With that, the motion died for lack of a second.
A motion to rebid with a ceiling of $421,000 was approved 2-1, with Hand voting no.
That also brought up specific discussion about staffing levels.
It was noted by Sinclair that salaries and related benefits were one of the only variables that the board could really control.
Ford motioned to do nothing on staffing levels at this time.
“I’m willing to let it slide,” he said. “When we have to make a choice we have to make a choice. I think it’s the wrong thing to do, I think it’s going to have a devastating effect on the district.”
Hand said that anticipated attrition because of retirements will have the district in the black within a few years.
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