City officials have saved only about 41 percent of the necessary $1.6 million needed for a new Athens Fire ladder truck, leaving officials searching for other means of funding.
Last school year, talks began regarding how the city could replace the department's current 22-year-old ladder truck, which would cost about $1.58 million. Athens City Council began discussing means of payment once again at the Jan. 10 meeting.
The city has saved only $640,000 toward the truck, which would not even cover half the cost, said Councilwoman Nancy Bain, D-3rd Ward.
When these trucks hit 20 years old
they tend to wear out. It's a lot of wear for a truck that runs everyday Athens Fire Chief Bob Troxel said.
The current truck's engine has been replaced once and the truck also has transmission problems, Troxel said, adding that the truck lacks the horsepower to travel up Athens' hills.
We had the last truck until the brakes failed and we almost ran into the Convocation Center
Troxel said.
Although the truck needs to be replaced, Bain said she was concerned about how the city would cover the additional about $940,000.
Because the ladder truck is mostly used for students living in residence halls four and five stories tall across campus, Troxel again suggested Ohio University help pay the difference.
There are 49 buildings over four stories (in the city)
and the majority of those buildings are OU buildings
Troxel said.
Last year, city officials suggested OU create a student fee that would put money toward the new truck.
City officials are suggesting this mode of payment because Kent State University helped pay for Kent's fire truck, Troxel said.
Although university officials said the school did not have money to cover costs for the fire truck when asked last January, school officials declined to comment yesterday.
City Council has not come any closer to making a decision regarding the funding for the truck, but Troxel said purchasing decisions should be made before prices increase in spring.
@ThePostCity
1
News
Marika Lee
