Sheldon, Iowa — During a special Sheldon City Council meeting Tuesday night, the council received a presentation from the Sheldon Fire Company about a replacement for the department’s aerial ladder truck that was severely damaged in an accident earlier this spring.
Sheldon Fire Company Truck Captain Chuck Ball shared with the Council the results of the fire department’s research into the option of buying a new aerial truck versus a used model. Their research showed that a used truck, with an expected lifespan of an additional 10 years would cost the City approximately the same amount, broken down to a cost-per-day comparison, as a new truck with a 25-year lifespan.
Ball also cited significantly lower maintenance costs for a new truck, safety features that make a new truck much safer, and the ability to get a new truck set up to exactly fit the needs of the City’s fire department as reasons to purchase a new truck rather than a used one. Of the new units the department had requested quotes on, they recommended to the Council the purchase of a new Spartan aerial ladder truck, at a cost of $1,066,136.
After much discussion, the Council unanimously passed a motion to accept the fire department’s recommendation of a new Spartan aerial ladder truck, and to issue up to $1,000,000 in General Obligation Capital Loan Notes to cover the lion’s share of the purchase price. The City will also put the $180,000 settlement received from the insurance company for damage to the old truck toward the acquisition of the new aerial ladder truck. A representative from Spartan was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting and told the Council the City could expect delivery of the new truck within 330 days of the date the purchase contract was signed.
The matter will now move to a public hearing on the issuance of the General Obligation Capital Loan Notes intended for use in financing the new truck’s purchase.
In other action, Public Works Director Todd Uhl told the Council that since the City’s Water Watch went into effect, water usage has stabilized, but he says, it’s still too high. Uhl says the conservation measures people have taken, along with the rains we’ve received have helped, but not enough. Uhl told the Council that without additional conservation and more rainfall mandatory water restrictions are on the horizon.
