Hoover council agrees to buy three replacement fire trucks

by

The Hoover City Council tonight agreed to purchase three new fire trucks that will cost the city $2.5 million.

Hoover City Administrator Allan Rice said two of the city’s ladder trucks need to be replaced, and with an 11th fire station soon opening, the city needs to replace at least one pumper truck each year to keep its fleet up to date.

“We’re really thin on our reserves right now,” Rice said. The city needs to get the Fire Department back on track with its vehicles, he said.

Each of the ladder trucks will cost about $1 million, while the pumper truck will cost about $540,000, Rice said.

The action taken tonight allows the city to place an order with Sutphen Fire Apparatus. It should take 12 to 14 months to get the trucks built and delivered, according to the purchase agreement.

Rice said the city needs to go ahead and place the order by the end of August before an expected price increase takes effect. If the council waits, the price would go up by $162,500, records show. Also, by using a lease-to-purchase plan, the city can save $61,752, for a total savings of $224,262.

The council can discuss the best way to pay for the trucks as it looks at capital expenditures for the coming year in the next couple of months, Rice said.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER STUDY

The City Council also tonight agreed to pay $40,000 to obtain a concept design and feasibility study for a new performing arts center for the city.

The study is being led by the Live Design Group, with a Los Angeles company called TheatreDNA coming up with a concept design and a company called Cost Consulting Services analyzing the costs of the chosen design options.

Hoover Councilman Curt Posey, the council’s liaison with the Hoover Arts Council, said he is excited to be moving ahead with the study. The council was about two weeks away from approving the study last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, prompting the council to postpone many projects, Posey said.

He is very impressed with the companies that will work on the concept design and feasibility study and excited to see the vision for a performing arts center start to come to life, he said.

In other business tonight, the council:

  • Approved a license for Tobacco Plus Plus Plus to sell alcohol at a new convenience store at 1845 Montgomery Highway in The Plaza at Riverchase shopping center.
  • Accepted a $10,000 payment from Jefferson County to help pay for the nutrition program at the Hoover Senior Center.
  • Appointed Jim Masingill, Lawrence Kadish and William Kadish as directors of The Stadium Trace Village Improvement District.
  • Agreed to pay to have grass and/or weeds cut at 312 Shades Crest Road, 425 Shades Ave., 1139 Camelot Circle and 2039 Arnold Road and bill the property owners for the work. Three of the properties are vacant houses, while 425 Shades Ave. is a vacant lot.