Politics & Government
Elmhurst To Spend $1M On Fire Truck
By rushing the decision, the city can get the truck far earlier than expected, officials said.
ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen this week agreed to spend about $1 million on a new fire truck.
The city said it found an opportunity to get the pumper truck in 12 to 14 months, rather than waiting three years.
But the City Council had to suspend its usual rule of putting such an expenditure through two meetings.
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"The good news is that if we can get this approved tonight and expedite it, we can get a formal letter back to the dealer that we want this truck," Alderman Mike Brennan told the council.
The truck would replace one that the city bought 16 years ago and now has 108,000 miles on it. Over time, its repairs have cost the city nearly $300,000.
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Officials said the city was able to replace some other entity that had already been in line to get the truck.
The city is paying Aurora-based dealer MacQueen Emergency $979,000 for the truck. It is expected to pay another $60,000 for things such as emergency lighting, auxiliary communication equipment, ladders and decals.
The council voted unanimously for the purchase. The cost of fire trucks has risen dramatically in recent years.
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