Huachuca City council approves submission of requests for ladder fire truck and water‑meter upgrades

Town Manager Suzanne Harvey told the council she submitted a Congressionally Directed Spending request to Congressman Ciscomani for a ladder fire truck and requested authorization to submit the same request to Senator Mark Kelly to improve chances of receiving funds. Harvey said the federal request is for about $1.3 million, with a local match of roughly $200,000–$300,000; she estimated a total purchase cost of about $1.5 million and explained that USDA Rural Development/Community Facilities rules impose match and procurement requirements. "I submitted to Congressman Siscomani a CPF request for $1.3 million for a ladder truck our match for that would be approximately 200, 300,000," Harvey said.

Harvey also asked permission to submit a request for water‑meter upgrades and recommended prioritizing the fire truck because of public‑safety implications and potential effects on the town’s ISO rating and insurance costs. Council unanimously approved submitting the congressional requests, prioritized the ladder truck, and authorized staff to pursue matching funds and follow USDA procurement rules if the project is funded. The Council noted staff’s plan to spread the local match across upcoming fiscal years if necessary and that federal money cannot be released until a federal budget and subsequent approvals are completed.