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Council tables decision on $300,000 fire tanker grant; seeks county cooperation and more information
Summary
Jefferson's volunteer fire department has a $300,000 Texas Forest Service grant offer for a tanker; the council agreed to seek county support and scheduled a special March 31 meeting for final action to avoid jeopardizing the grant timeline.
The Jefferson City Council agreed to table action on purchasing a Firemaster tanker truck tied to a $300,000 Texas Forest Service grant and to revisit the item at a special meeting on March 31 while attempting to secure county cooperation on shared costs.
Victor, speaking for the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department, said the apparatus would cost roughly $484,000 and that the grant would cover $300,000. The department would need to finance the remaining ~$184,000; representatives outlined financing options ranging across several term lengths with interest rates below 5% available through state purchasing groups.
Council members and staff discussed whether the county could help cover costs given that the department responds to incidents countywide and that part of the city’s interlocal exchange involves housing inmates and dispatch services. Victor said the county’s recent capital funds were restricted to water and sewer projects and could not be used for apparatus purchases; councilors nonetheless agreed to ask the county judge for assistance and to gather more information before deciding.
Because the grant requires action by July and a truck is available now that could be modified and delivered by July, councilors did not want to automatically forfeit the opportunity. To balance urgency against the desire for more fiscal clarity, the council voted to table the motion and hold a special meeting on March 31 to review additional county outreach and financing details.
Next steps: Council members will attempt county outreach, staff will gather financing amortizations and contract terms, and the item will return to the March 31 special meeting for a final vote.
