By TERRY DEAN

Assistant Editor

tdean@cherokeeherald.com

The Centre City Council has officially begun the search for a new firetruck. During a re-cent meeting, the council au-thorized Fire Chief Kevin Ware to begin drawing up specs for a new model.

In a previous meeting, Ware explained to the council that the Fire Department was leas-ing a vehicle from Brindlee Mountain. The company in-formed Ware that a buyer was interested in the truck Centre was leasing and that a com-pany representative would be coming to pick up the truck.

Since the last council meet-ing, Ware met with the fire committee composed of Coun-cil Members Frankie Kelly, Tom Wade Hampton and Glenn Chandler and after discussing various options, voted to recommend to the council drawing up bids on a truck in the 2005-2007 range.

Ware pointed out, however, that drawing up specs on a used truck is difficult.

“I adamantly stress that we have got to have a third truck,” said Ware. “There’s no two ways about it, we’ve got to have a third truck. We’ve looked at several different things. We’ve also looked at leasing to own a truck. There are four or five companies in the state to deal with fire trucks, new fire trucks. You are looking at around $250,000 on a truck. But with a lease to own purchase, you can budget in $30,000 a year for 10 years instead of paying that lump sum.”

The interest rates on such a financing plan, Ware said, range from 4.2 percent to 5.17 percent.

Ware, along with a repre-sentative from Brindlee Moun-tain, asked the council to con-sider a 1996 used model with 102,000 miles on it for $129,000 which was on display in front of the fire department. Be-cause of its advanced age and mileage, however, the council was less than enthusiastic about the proposal.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” asked Councilwoman Bess Yarbrough.

The Brindlee Mountain representative said they pres-ently have about 60 trucks to choose from. After discussions with Fire Chief Ware, how-ever, he thought they might consider this truck to be closer to their price range. Some of their trucks are priced as high as $400,000, he said.

Ware shared some of the specs he has in mind for the new vehicle.

“We would like to have a top-mount pump,” said Ware. “Whoever is running the pump will be on top where he can see both sides of the truck. We can see which side of the road the fire is going to be on. We would like to have a 1250, but we would rather have a 1500-gallon pump. We’d like to have a 1,000 gallon tank.”

Ware said several dealers have expressed interest in showing trucks for the city’s consideration. It is for this reason that he asked the coun-cil to allow him to begin draw-ing up specs.

Ware said the department has also applied for several grants to pay for all or part of a new truck. Unfortunately, the department has been turned down to date.

These grant funds, Ware said, are often awarded to the more rural fire departments which are not connected to another entity like the Centre Fire Department is to the city of Centre and therefore have fewer funding sources.

Ware said they would keep trying, however.

“I suggest we go beg like everybody else,” said Mrs. Yarbrough.

The council also voted to approve the Sales Tax Holiday for Aug. 3-5.

Mayor Phil Powell reported that he received an email from the daughter of a man who was killed in an accident on the Chesnut Bypass in Centre. She said she could not understand why the Alabama Department of Transportation recently turned down a new traffic light for the bypass.

Powell said he also re-ceived an email from an Ala-bama DOT representative who offered to explain the DOT’s position in further detail, which the council will discuss further in the future.

Powell reported that the city recently hired Randy Mayorga as a police officer for the city. Mayorga seems en-thusiastic about his new posi-tion, Powell said.

In other business, the coun-cil:

-Approved allowing the SO-COOL (School’s Out-Camp Of Organized Learning) to use the Centre Swimming Pool again this summer. “I think that is a real good program,” said Councilman Glenn Chandler who made the motion.

-Agreed to sell approxi-mately three acres in Centre Industrial Park.

-Tabled action on condem-nation of property on East Main Street until the council receives more information.

-Approved purchase of one extended cab vehicle for the city parks and recreation de-partment as discussed in a previous meeting.

-Approved purchase of a 23-horsepower mower for the parks and recreation depart-ment for $6,200.

-Was informed by City Clerk Mary Lee Tucker that the bid for the lights on Main Street has been awarded and that a Preconstruction Conference is scheduled in the near future.

-Approved purchase of a six-foot fence to surround the new power transformer at the softball complex for $882