The Baldwin City Council has approved an unexpected request to buy a new firetruck after some discussion about how the $584,657 purchase would fit into the city’s budget.
Although the purchase was eventually approved 5-0 at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting, members had questions about the timing of the request. Council members Julie Constantinescu and Scott Lauridsen both asked why the request for such an expensive item was made at the end of the year instead of during the 2021 budget discussions that took place over the summer.
Baldwin City Fire Chief Terry Baker told them that the fire department had been looking to replace one of its trucks, which was purchased in 1993 and had multiple maintenance issues. Baker said the department had been in talks with two manufacturers of firetrucks, Rosenbauer America and Pierce Manufacturing, during the last year in anticipation of bringing a request to the City Council in 2021. He said the department had worked with Rosenbauer to fit a tr