 When the time came, Alderwoman Kathy Horn made the motion to
approve the purchase of a new fire truck. The motion included giving
Chief Mark Miller the authority to spend up to $368,000 for an
in-stock vehicle.
From the same side of the room, Alderwoman Melody Anderson
seconded the motion, and it was opened to the floor for discussion.
Across the room, the first person to speak up was Alderwoman
Marty Neitzel, who immediately said she wished Horn would have
tabled the motion for further discussion next week.
From that same side of the room, Alderman Tom O'Donohue then said
he wasn't going to vote for a vehicle that doesn't exist, to which
Horn countered that the vehicle did exist and that Miller knows
where it is.
Neitzel then questioned why the council wasn't going to consider
the vehicle that she had gone to see in Springfield.
The discussion bounced back to side one as Alderman Jeff Hoinacki
pointed out that Chuck Conzo, city treasurer, had suggested the city
wait to hear from CEFCU on their loan interest rates.
Kitty-corner across the room, O'Donohue weighed in again, saying
he wanted to make it clear he was not "anti-fire truck," but he
wanted to know the exact amount that was going to be spent. He also
noted that he did not want to give Miller the authority to spend
money. He qualified this by saying it wasn't a matter of not
trusting Miller; it was just a matter of not wanting to give that
kind of authority to any department head.
Crossing to midfield, Alderwoman Jonie Tibbs argued that Miller
was the right person to give the authority to because he knew what
he was doing.
[to top of second column] |
Up the line, Alderman Buzz Busby stood with O'Donohue, saying
that the city has never spent $370,000 without knowing who it was
going to and where it was going to come from.
While several of the aldermen had not voiced an opinion during
any of the discussions Monday night, they made their opinion clear
when the item came to vote.
With all 10 aldermen present for the vote, David Armbrust, Stacy
Bacon, Busby , Hoinacki, Neitzel, O'Donohue and Wilmert voted no.
Only Anderson, Horn, and Tibbs voted yes.
With the motion failed, the council moved on to other business.
After the meeting however, Neitzel, who had been among the most
vocal during the committee meeting and voting session, said that the
city will eventually get this all ironed out. She said, "We have to
know what we're doing, and we have to do it right."
[By NILA SMITH]
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