A new fire truck is coming to the Bovina district soon.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors accepted state authorization Monday to move ahead with the Warren County Bovina Fire District’s application to purchase the new truck.

The state approval came from the State Fire Marshall Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program Review Committee.

“That review committee has to approve the purchase first and then we have to come in and accept that approval that they did,” Board of Supervisors President Bill Lauderdale said.

The district will obtain a $70,000 grant from the state to help pay for the new class A pumper fire truck. Fire coordinator Jerry Briggs said the contract should be in place in the next couple months to start building a truck to the department’s specifications.

“They are different from city trucks,” Lauderdale said. “They hold more water.”

Briggs said the station already has a relatively new pumper. Future plans for a station in the Flowers area of Freetown dictate the need for a new truck that will stay in Bovina for the time being.

It will take months to build the truck and cost the district around $150,000 for the $200,000-$250,000 truck. The money will come from the tax already levied on the district, and Briggs said they would borrow money and finance the remaining cost.

“As far as getting a contract to build the truck, it takes probably roughly six months to build the truck and get it delivered,” Briggs said. “Hopefully we’ll be in contract to purchase the truck they will start building in the next month.”

 

Other points on the meeting agenda included:

• An executive session was held to discuss Armstrong World Industries and their lawsuit with the county and circuit court regarding the company’s personal and real property tax. No action was taken but the board did authorize board attorney Blake Teller to receive tax assessor Angela Brown’s serving papers.
• County Administrator John C. Smith analyzed revenue and expenses of the Warren County Parks and Recreation Commission and determined the organization would need $41,000 to cover personnel and operations costs between now and Friday, Dec. 11. The weather has affected the revenue generated and operations expenses have gone up causing the commission to be in need of funding. The commission is now exploring options, such cutting back expenses or raising membership fees so they can afford to maintain and operate a golf course, soccer field and baseball field. “The money they have coming in is not enough really to cover their expenses,” District 2 Supervisor William Banks said. “So what we have to do is subsidize until the season picks back up when everybody starts back playing.”

•  The sheriff’s department is trading in 63 handguns and 10 long guns that are unusable for 44 new Glock firearms, six SIM guns and 50 additional magazines from Barneys Police Supplier. A number of computer equipment, trucks, movers and tractors were also approved for the Absolute Municipal and Local Contractors Public Auction, 257 Halls Ferry Park Road, Saturday, Dec. 5.
• Bidding opened for assorted supplies, Avenue D Bridge repairs and disposal of waste tires. The Avenue D Bridge repair was estimated to cost $270,143 when biding opened three months ago. The county received no bids at that time but opened biding up again and received three bids go around. A bid was accepted with WS Construction in Wesson for $328,642.10, which is $58,499.10 over the expected cost. The board accepted the bid because the board did not think they would find a better offer with the first request getting no response. The other bids opened included grass cutting of county buildings, general cleaning and maintenance of two boat landings, asphalt, pipe, concrete, gravel and waste tire disposal were read to the board and will be considered before recommendations will be made to accept a bid.