MINUTES
BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY
March 8, 2011
A SPECIAL MEETING of the Board of Public Safety was held on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, in the City Hall Auditorium.
Those in attendance included Mayor Ryan J. Bingham, members of the Board of Public Safety Richard Zaharek, Douglas Benedetto, James Potter, Darlene Battle and Christopher Cook, along with Fire Chief John Field and Deputy Fire Chief Gary Brunoli. Commissioner Angelo LaMonica was absent.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 7:37 p.m.
PURCHASE APPARATUS
On a motion by Commissioner Potter, seconded by Commissioner Cook, the Board considered the purchase of an
Aerial Single Axle Apparatus from Northeastern Fire Apparatus Specialists of Cheshire, CT, in the amount of
$459,950.00.
Deputy Chief Brunoli gave the background on this purchase, saying there were several proposals received and Northeastern Fire Apparatus Specialists submitted the low bid of $459,950.00. This vehicle is a couple of years old, the others weren’t completely built yet, and this vehicle will be given a warrantee as if it were new. The entire vehicle will be repainted and is fully certified. All requested options were included at no extra cost. Buying this vehicle instead of waiting until next year will save $91,300 on the Vehicle Replacement Plan. He recommends removing the projected purchase of a pumper in 2014 from the Plan, saving another $486,202 for a total savings of $577,502.
With retirement of Engine 2 and Engine 5, Engine 1 would be 14 yrs old in 2014, so there’s still quite a bit of life left in that vehicle, he said.
Chief Field explained that Engines 2 and 5 would be deleted from the fleet with this purchase, and the next purchase will be a Ladder truck in 2016.
Deputy Chief Brunoli said this vendor has been in business for quite a few years, and he has dealt with them over the last 20 years. He has known the salesmen for close to 30 years. He is very comfortable with the American LaFrance manufacturer, knowing the dealer and his history.
Deputy Chief Brunoli said purchasing this vehicle now will make our service a lot more versatile and they will be able to manage resources better by having a small aerial in place.
Commissioner Benedetto said that even though the money is set aside, it’s tough for taxpayers to swallow another purchase.
Mayor Bingham suggested that if there’s concern about spending the money, there should be a vote to take the funds out of the Plan and put back into the General Fund. The money is already set aside in the Plan and cannot be spent anywhere else.
Chief Field added that if the public has this perception, then we haven’t educated them to the level where they understand exactly how this account works.
Commissioner Potter clarified that these purchases are to replace trucks that are 24 and 26 years old. Commissioner Battle said she thinks this is a smart thing to do right now, because of the savings.
Deputy Chief Brunoli said he spent $15,000 repairing Engines 5 and 2 last year, and the trucks aren’t worth $15,000.
Commissioner Benedetto said $15,000 is better than $400,000 and suggested putting this purchase off until July. Deputy Chief Brunoli said this truck won’t be available then.
Commissioner Potter said he thinks we are a very frugal City when it comes to fire apparatus, as other Career Departments don’t keep trucks as long as we do.
Commissioner Zaharek said the Board would be remiss in their responsibility to the taxpayers if they don’t take advantage of this opportunity.
Commissioner Cook questioned vehicles’ life expectancy and Chief Field explained the standards are based on usage. Chief Field said they try to have value left in the vehicles so they can be sold to get some money back without having to spend $15,000 to keep them running. Last year $40,000 or $50,000 was spent to keep the Ladder truck running, which spends a considerable amount of time down for repairs.
The Board voted 4 to 1 in favor of accepting the recommendation of the Fleet Manager, Deputy Fire Chief, and Purchasing Agent to award the purchase of an Aerial Single Axle Apparatus to Northeastern Fire Apparatus Specialists of Cheshire, CT, in the amount of $459,950.00 pending approval from all boards. Commissioner Benedetto was opposed.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Commissioner Potter, seconded by Commissioner Zaharek, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn
at 7:55 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol L. Anderson, CCTC Assistant City Clerk
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