Subject: [NEXTEL-1] City planning to borrow for public safety

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 22:57:47 -0500

City planning to borrow for public safety

03/05/04

BARNETT WRIGHT
News staff writer

The City of Birmingham plans to borrow $25 million through a warrant
issue to pay for new public safety vehicles and a new radio system.

The money is needed
because of a shortfall in the
fiscal year 2004 general fund
budget, city finance officials
said.

"We typically have surpluses
at the end of the year (June
30) and when we do we scoop
some of the money out and
pay for things like cars," said
Folasade Olanipekun, city
finance director. "Last year
we didn't have the funding to
do it. We had to use a
different funding source."

Officials are planning to spend $10 million on police cars, firetrucks
and
other equipment and $13 million on the radio system.

The rest of the money is for costs related to borrowing the money, they
said.

The debt will be paid off through general fund appropriations and will
not
require an increase in city taxes, said Olanipekun. It can be approved
with
a vote of the council and does not require a vote of residents.

The warrant will be issued by June, said city officials.

Bob Rainey, the city's director of equipment management, said 85 percent

of the money for vehicles is going to the police, fire and public works
departments.

Plans also call for five cars for the mayor's office totaling $83,000.
That
amount includes an executive full-size car for the mayor. There are
three
cars for the City Council's office totaling $45,300.

Other departments scheduled for new vehicles include traffic
engineering,
planning, engineering and permits, and parks and recreation, said
Rainey.

Birmingham officials said new firetrucks will be stationed at 11
locations
around the city to replace pumper trucks at least 10 years old.

Rainey said the new pumpers would cost $3.5 million. Five SUVs will be
ordered for fire and safety battalion commanders to use as command
centers, he said.

Birmingham Fire Chief Dwayne Murray said the department needs new
trucks to meet National Fire Protection Association standards.

"Some of the trucks do not have enclosed cabs," said Murray. "NFPA
says firefighters now have to be in enclosed cabs."

The fire chief said the new vehicles also address safety and response
concerns.

"The older trucks move slower and there's a lot of down time," he said.
"They're in the shop more than they're on the street."

130 patrol cars:

Rainey said the police department is scheduled to receive 130 police
cars
at a cost of $2 million.

"Several cars have more than 100,000 miles which is higher than the
recommended mileage on vehicles," said Birmingham Police Chief
Annetta Nunn. "These are vehicles that may run 24/7. That's why the
mileage goes up so quickly. You can either spend the money to get a
new vehicle or spend it repairing vehicles."

Michael Johnson, deputy finance director, said that interest rates are
favorable for a warrant and the city needs the equipment.

He said financing the radio system through Motorola would cost more
than 4.27 percent and the cost of financing a warrant would be between 2

and 4 percent.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/107848205423370.xml

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