After silently standing watch over the San Juan Bautista City
Council meeting Tuesday night, volunteer firefighters clapped and
cheered after council members approved the purchase of a new
$230,000 fire engine thanks to a federal grant the city recently
received.
After silently standing watch over the San Juan Bautista City Council meeting Tuesday night, volunteer firefighters clapped and cheered after council members approved the purchase of a new $230,000 fire engine thanks to a federal grant the city recently received.
The unanimous approval came after some quibbling between Volunteer Fire Chief Rick Cokley and several council members over whether the city could afford approximately $50,000 – $25,000 to equip the new engine and $23,000 from a 10 percent federal funds match the city has to make as a requirement of the grant.
The city has a small amount of money set aside to pay for the equipment, but to foot the entire bill it could have to use a line of credit it has with San Benito Bank, according to City Manager Larry Cain. The city will make its final decision how to pay for the truck after the budget is finished.
In a city where $50,000 is a considerable chunk out of the $1.6 million annual budget, Councilman Chuck Geiger expressed hesitation at spending that large of an amount of money.
“I think you need to work within the budget – I can’t see you taking your budget and adding to it,” Geiger said to Cokley. “I don’t like borrowing money from the bank. I know you know how to save money and you’ll come to us with a budget that works.”
The department currently has one fire engine it bought in 1983 for use within the city, a county-owned engine it uses to respond to county fires and a water tender, Cain said. The approximately 18 volunteer firefighters respond to calls within the city of San Juan and assist the California Department of Forestry and county volunteers on fires and emergency aid within the unincorporated county areas.
Mayor George Rowe was fully in favor of a new truck, even if it meant rearranging the budget to make it work, he said.
“We can find the money. I would hate to see one of those trucks not start because we didn’t (allocate enough money),” Rowe said. “If we need to borrow, then that’s what we’re gonna have to do.”
The new truck would be purchased from Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. out of Modesto, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of fire equipment, Cokley said.
While the $231,681 engine isn’t the cheapest model, which start at around $180,000, it isn’t the most expensive, either, Cokley said. It’s simply “middle of the road,” he said.
“I looked at both, and I don’t want to appear greedy, but I want everything we need, too,” Cokley said. “The difference is between how many bells and whistles, how big the pump is – you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to spending money on these things.”
The $25,000 would buy hoses, nozzles, adapters, a radio and accessories, and a host of other equipment needed to outfit the engine, Cokley said.
Volunteers would use the engine specifically for calls within San Juan city limits; it would be used on county calls only if absolutely necessary, Cokley said.Councilman Dan Reed was in favor of the new fire engine because of the safety aspect for the public as well as the firefighters.
“I feel it’s important when you roll out on a fire that you feel comfortable,” Reed said. “It’s something that benefits San Juan and the county as a whole.”
Volunteer firefighter Ron Zuniga spoke on behalf of Cokley, the commendable job he’s done as chief and the need for a new engine.
“The services rendered by this department are immeasurable,” Zuniga said. “We are in dire need of a fire engine and should not have to sacrifice… to achieve it.”
Finding creative ways to secure the funds so as not to plunge the city into financial ruin was Geiger’s main concern over the new engine, he said.
“I’m not against the fire truck, but we need to find the money by using good financial guidelines in getting what we need,” he said. “We’re looking at money, and we need to make sure every party involved is looking at coming up with that money.”
