Pine City Council votes to move forward with ladder truck purchase

The Pine City Council voted to move forward with the purchase of a ladder truck for the fire department at last week's meeting.

According to fire chief Tom Miller, the department's ladder truck is out of service and scrapped out.

The E-One truck would cost the city $1.95 million, with an estimated delivery timeline of 40 to 48 months.

With the city financing the truck over a 15-year period with a $250,000 down payment, it will carry a price tag of just over $163,000 a year.

"It's a lot of money, but it's a huge investment in the future of the city," said council member Dan Swanson.

Miller said the ladder truck will help maintain and improve the ISO rating for the city and the fire service area for the department's contracted partners.

"Our economic impact if we were to lose our ISO when an audit is triggered in three or four years weighs on my mind heavily," said council member Kyle Palmer.

In his request for council action, Miller wrote that the department has spent "many, many hours" searching for a used ladder truck replacement, to no avail.

"All of the used ladders which have been found have ended up having mechanical, structural, or major plumbing issues," Miller wrote.

Council member Gina Pettie asked about the timing of the contract, and whether the city would be best served by "one more year of tightening our belt."

"I think we should follow what the auditor suggested, and do another year ... of tightening our budget and not spending," said finance director Nicole Tricker.

Council member Dave Hill cautioned against waiting due to the rising costs of fire trucks.

"I think if we wait, we know what's going to happen. It's going to go up $300, $400 thousand," Hill said.

Hill added that purchasing the truck would help keep Pine City from ending up behind the eight ball.

"I think putting this into our fleet is going to put us into a position of being ready, and having what we need for quite a few years ahead," Hill said.

"It's not 'no,' it would be 'not right now' for me," Pettie said in regard to the timing.

The vote to purchase the ladder truck passed 3-1, with Hill, Palmer, and Swanson voting yes, and Pettie voting no. Mayor Kent Bombard was absent from the meeting.