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Council planning session previews request to buy Pink Ribbon shirts for fire department
Summary
Councilors discussed resolution 8911‑26 asking permission to use city funds to purchase Pink Ribbon Project T‑shirts for the fire department. Staff said the council must identify a public benefit; proponents said breast‑cancer awareness and community welfare meet that test. The purchase is budgeted at about $5,200; a $6,000 cushion was proposed.
Chair opened the planning session and introduced resolution 8911‑26, which asks the council to permit use of public money to buy Pink Ribbon Project T‑shirts to be issued to the fire department.
A council member who spoke in favor of the request said the city has for years purchased the shirts and that the quoted cost is about "$5,200" and suggested raising the budget line to "$6,000" to provide flexibility if the quote changes. The council member acknowledged discomfort that the city does not make comparable purchases for other causes and described the request as seeking council permission to use public funds in support of private research and awareness efforts.
City legal/staff counsel responded that the council can authorize the expenditure if it "finds a public benefit and expenditure of the public funds," and Chair agreed that "breast cancer awareness" constitutes a valid public benefit that advances the health and welfare of Hoover residents. No final vote was taken at the planning session; the resolution is scheduled for formal consideration on Monday.
If approved, the purchase would be charged to the existing uniform/shirt budget line. Staff said the line already contains the funds to cover the quoted amount but recommended the modest cushion the council member proposed to avoid a return visit if re‑quoting is necessary.
