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The Islander.
December 02, 2024
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The Islander., December 02, 2024, Image 2
About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2024)
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Newspaper Page Text
Page 2, December 2, 2024, The Islander
City finance approves fire truck purchase
By Pamela Permar-Shierling
Last week (Nov. 25) the City of
Brunswick finance committee ap
proved the $1.7 million purchase of
a new fire truck which will replace
the city’s current ladder truck.
Assistant Chief Laurence Car-
gile told the committee that the
problems with the current ladder
truck are extensive. “It is hard to
get parts and keep it in service,”
Cargile said.
The purchase will be through a
lease with Leasing 2, Inc. at an in
terest rate of 5.39%. Total interest
payment over a 13 year period was
calculated at $668,250 which brings
the total cost of the new equipment
to $2.4 million.
However, Asst. County Manager
Jeremiah Bergquist told the com
mittee that after three years, the
city will be able to refinance the
truck through GMA (Georgia Mu
nicipal Association) at a zero inter
est rate.
Bergquist also said that SPLOST
2022 will cover the payments for
the first three years. After that the
payments will be rolled into the
general fund.
The fire truck is currently under
construction, Bergquist said. “We
will inspect it at either the end of
December or early in January be
fore signing off on it. We plan for
it to be in service during the first
quarter next year.”
The committee also discussed
an IGA (intergovernmental agree
ment) with Glynn County for the
construction of the city’s portion of
the Fourth St. sidewalk.
Glynn County is building a side
walk along Fourth St. from Mari
ner’s Way to Highway 17. The city
needs to repair its portion of the
sidewalk from Mariner’s Way west
to Altama Ave.
The county bid the project and
awarded construction to Swindell
Construction Co. The city’s portion
is $152,522 and the IGA is so the
city can reimburse the county for
payment.
However, it was unclear since
the city’s portion is over $100,000
whether the city would have to bid
out its own portion of the sidewalk.
City Attorney Brian Corry will
make sure it is legal for the city to
not bid out the construction.
“If we have to bid the project, it
will definitely slow down the pro
cess,” Public Works Director Gar-
row Albers on said.
Mayor Cosby Johnson said, “We
will defer this item until we know
for sure that it is legal for the city
not to bid the project.”
Alberson said that Corry would
have an opinion before the next
regular commission meeting (Dec.
4) and he would bring it to the com
mission at that time.
Commissioner Felicia Harris
then asked Alberson about the
western portion of the sidewalk
that would run from Altama Ave. to
Highway 341.
“We are looking at this portion of
the sidewalk,” Alberson said. “The
design would be funded through
BATS. We may have a design to
look at by spring.”
Brunswick Fire Department Aerial Enforcer is under construction by Ten-8.
The city receives regular progress updates and will inspect the vehicle before
accepting it. Assistant City Manager Jeremiah Bergquist said he expects the
ladder truck to be in service during the first quarter of 2025.
Photo provided by Ten-8
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