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Council authorizes ambulance purchase; discussion centers on grant, fabrication timing and short-term borrowing
Summary
The council authorized the purchase of a new ambulance under a Sourcewell contract; staff said a grant will cover the unit and additional equipment, the chassis is already being fabricated which shortens delivery time, and the city will use short-term borrowing to bridge timing to reimbursement.
The City Council approved a resolution March 4 authorizing the city manager to purchase a new ambulance for the Fire Department under a Sourcewell contract. City manager Dan Creighton told the council that the purchase will be fully funded by a grant secured with help from Nassau County legislator Pat Mullaney and that the vendor, Hendrickson, has already begun fabricating the unit.
Creighton said that having fabrication already under way could save “2 and a half to 3 years worth of fabrication time,” a point council members welcomed. The council asked several finance and legal questions about whether the council could authorize the purchase before the capital budget for 2026 was adopted and about how the city would manage cashflow pending reimbursement from the grant.
Ina (city finance counsel) explained the approach: the city will make an outlay for a deposit and then borrow short term for the remainder, structuring the borrowing as a short-term note timed to be repaid when reimbursement arrives. Ina told the council that the borrowing would likely be a short bond anticipation note and that interest exposure would be minimal because the borrowing term would be short.
Fire officials said no additional equipment purchases would be required beyond equipment moved from the existing ambulance being replaced. The board of fire commissioners had reviewed the purchase beforehand, staff said. Public commenters praised the fire department and urged the city to continue grant-writing and equipment improvements.
Next steps
The council approved the purchase as part of a block vote of items 1–11. Staff will execute the Sourcewell purchase order, accept delivery when the unit is completed, and bring the short-term borrowing to market in September as planned. The city will use the grant reimbursement to reduce borrowing costs when funds are received.
Why it matters
An in-service ambulance affects emergency response capacity. The council’s discussion focused on ensuring the city is both fiscally prudent (minimizing borrowing interest) and operationally ready (shortening the delivery timetable by accepting an in-progress fabrication).
