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Council sets second reading date for ordinance to buy two fire engines, staff outlines financing
Summary
Council moved the first-reading ordinance forward on the planned purchase and financing of two replacement fire engines for the city's contracted fire service; staff described vehicle specifications, multi-year delivery timelines and a proposed lease-purchase financing plan.
The Mercer Island City Council set a second reading for ordinance 25-04 on Feb. 4 to authorize purchase and finance of two replacement fire apparatus used under the Eastside Fire and Rescue contract, staff said Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Doug McDonald (Eastside Fire and Rescue) described the operational need: the apparatus include a larger Type 1 (Pierce Velocity pumper) and a smaller freightliner "midi" pumper tailored for narrow driveways on the island. He said delivery lead times are long: "current delivery time for these engines right now are 48 to 54 months," and the shorter midi build time is around 35 to 40 months.
The nut graf: Council advanced the ordinance to provide staff authority to finalize pricing and begin financing; staff said lead times mean the city must act now to protect response capacity and later surplus older vehicles when replacements arrive.
Price, financing and procurement details reported to council
- Apparatus pricing: staff reported an estimated price for a new Type 1 engine near $1,250,760.55 and for the Freightliner midi pumper about $717,268.76. "The price for a new fire engine, today is $1,250,760.55," Finance Director Matt Mornick stated during the presentation.
- Procurement discounts and cooperative buying: Eastside Fire and Rescue coordinated a combined purchase with other agencies using Sourcewell cooperative purchasing and Pierce Manufacturing (through local distributor Hughes Fire Equipment) to seek discounted pricing.
- Financing: Staff recommended a nine-year tax-exempt installment purchase (lease-purchase) through Municipal Asset Management Inc. The combined finance amount presented was $1,960,000 with a 4.89% interest rate and an estimated annual debt-service payment of about $267,000. Mornick said the city will take advantage of a discount by paying upfront and begin debt-service payments in June 2025; council asked staff to return during a future budget workshop with updated fleet-funding assumptions.
Operational notes and council questions
Eastside Fire said the existing midi apparatus is needed for Mercer Island's topography and narrow-access driveways; staff said the new midi pumper would remain dedicated to island operations. Council members asked about surplus values, expected timelines for surplusing the replaced units and whether electric apparatus were near-market viability. Eastside Fire leadership said electric fire engines remain experimental for frontline service and cited battery-life and replacement costs (staff cited multi-hundred-thousand-dollar battery-pack replacement estimates) as barriers to near-term procurement.
The council voted to set the ordinance for second reading and adoption on Feb. 4; staff will return with the finalized purchase agreement, financing paperwork and any recommended updates to fleet-replacement funding strategies.
