Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry discusses the measure to repair a fire department ladder truck during Tuesday’s Three Rivers City Commission meeting.
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — The Three Rivers Fire Department’s 26-year-old ladder truck will be undergoing repairs in the near future.
During Tuesday’s Three Rivers City Commission meeting, commissioners approved an increase of up to $50,000 in a blanket purchase order to H.S. Fleet Services in order to service the truck and make the necessary repairs.
According to a list given to commissioners by Fire Chief Paul Schoon, there are numerous identified issues with the truck, all of which would cost an estimated $35,000 to $40,000 to repair. The $50,000 number was approved by commissioners as a way to accommodate any unforeseen expenses while the truck is being repaired.
Some of the issues include the need to replace seals on the transmission and engine, a leaky relief valve and fuel tank in the water and fuel systems, a leaky hydraulic cylinder in the ladder, a number of leaks with other discharge valves and gauge in the truck, heavily-calcified pump packing, heat damage on the ladder control box, and needed general transmission and differential services.
It is not known how long it will take to repair the truck, but Schoon loosely estimated it might take “maybe a few weeks” to complete in an interview following the meeting. The timeline for when the repairs will begin was not made clear during the meeting.
Schoon said the cost to repair the truck is much less compared to purchasing a new ladder truck, which now costs approximately $2 million. However, he said in an interview following the meeting the department is starting to budget to purchase a new ladder truck during the next fiscal year.
“We have a partial budget for one right now, and we’re applying for grants to get more funding for it,” Schoon said. “I’m hoping by at least the next fiscal year. We’ll work on seeing what’s available for financing.”
Build time for a new ladder truck, Schoon added, is two to four years.
While the ladder truck is “used very rarely,” according to Schoon, he added during the interview that not having it would still be tough.
“It’s one of those pieces of equipment that gets used very rarely, but when you need it, you need it,” Schoon said. “It’s like insurance, you want to make sure you have it when you need it, but hopefully you never use it.”
During discussion at the meeting, Schoon added that if they needed a ladder truck once the current one is undergoing repairs, they would call for mutual aid for one, however he noted the closest ladder trucks are found in Sturgis, Kalamazoo and Portage.
“It causes a delay because the closest one is in Sturgis or Kalamazoo/Portage,” Schoon said.
The current ladder truck was purchased by the city in 1998 for $400,000, according to Schoon.
In other business…
- Commissioners approved the purchase of two parcels near the airport, a vacant property called “EE33” without an address, and 19311 N. Airport Rd., which according to the resolution for agreement would aid in providing “clear airspace” for the Dr. Haines Airport and could potentially expand the footprint of the airport. The city will be using $50,303.18 from fund balance plus the use of $170,000 for fee purchase of the parcels. The city will also be seeking a 90 percent reimbursement from MDOT Aero for the expenses.
- Related to that purchase, commissioners approved an $8,853 change order to C&S Companies for Phase A of an avigation easement project at the Dr. Haines Airport. These include environmental assessments for six contiguous parcels on North Airport Road that are connected to the northeast side of the current boundary of the airport. The properties are 19289 N. Airport Rd., 19311 N. Airport Rd., and another that is a vacant lot without an address. The latter two properties were acquired in the aforementioned parcel purchase, while there is a residential property at 19289 N. Airport Rd.
The change order also includes a line item called “Relocation EE38,” which requires “displacement of an occupant and a landlord (business) with personal property who are eligible for relocation assistance … in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Act,” which are the 19289 N. Airport Rd. address and 19311 N. Airport Rd. address. $4,338 was allocated for that portion of the expense for advisory services.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
