A City of Jonesboro committee on Monday voted to forward to the full City Council a resolution requesting City Water and Light contribute $600,000 in 2025 and $600,000 in 2026 toward the purchase of two Jonesboro Fire Department vehicles: a 100-foot aerial ladder and a pumper.

The resolution, read by the committee chair (speaker 2), lists purchase prices of $1,558,852 for the aerial vehicle and $860,915 for the pumper, for a combined total of $2,419,760.67. The resolution notes the city appropriated $625,000 in the 2024 depreciation fund and proposes an additional $625,000 appropriation in the 2025 depreciation fund to help cover the buys. It also authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute the necessary documents to effectuate the contributions.

Fire Chief Hamrick (speaker 8) told the committee the department spent “over $100,000” this past year maintaining the 2005 ladder truck and that the vehicle is roughly 20–25 years old. He said the department explored vendors and identified a manufacturer able to build two trucks in about 20 months at a lower long-term cost than continuing with the department’s 20-year supplier, Pierce, which has longer build times and proprietary parts that are harder for the department to source locally.

"With Rosenbauer, what they're doing with it is pretty much they give you all the parts on a jump drive and I can go to Napa and buy those common parts that we need," Chief Hamrick said, citing parts availability as a key operational advantage.

Council members clarified funding sources and asked whether the combination of City Water and Light funds plus depreciation/reserve funds covered the entire purchase price. One participant stated they would recuse themselves from discussion or vote; the clerk conducted a voice/roll-call and recorded affirmative votes from Mister Edmonson, Dr. Charles Coleman, Miss Williams and Dr. Anthony Coleman (four yes votes) to forward the resolution to full council.

The committee did not approve procurement at this meeting; the item was forwarded to full council for formal authorization and any final contract award.