To fight a fire in a three-story building, the Colusa Fire Department will need a bigger truck.
The Colusa City Council on Jan. 17 authorized Grant Writer Fernanda Vanetta and Fire Chief Logan Conley to seek $1 million from the 2022 Assistance to Firefighter Grant program to help pay for a new quintuple firefighting apparatus that combines the equipment capabilities of a ladder truck and the water-pumping ability of a fire engine.
Conley said a new ladder truck will be needed when the Regional Housing Authority builds a new three-story, 49-unit apartment complex, known as Rancho Colusa.
The new complex will be located in the 1700 block of State Route 20, between the Assembly of God Church and Sav-Mor shopping center, and will provide housing for low-income individuals, families, and people with special needs.
“If (Regional Housing) goes forward with the new subdivision, we are looking at having a three story building, which is something we cannot service right now with our current equipment,” Vanetta said. “Chief Conley has identified a ladder truck, which is something that is allowable for purchase under this grant.”
The 2022 grant is funded by the Department of Homeland Security, specifically through FEMA, to help cities and other jurisdictions become prepared for emergencies.
A cannabis developer has also proposed a three story building on East Clay Street, and many of Colusa’s two story buildings have rooflines 30 to 35 feet high.
Conley said a new ladder truck will not only mitigate the risk being introduced with a new apartment complex, but help mitigate risks that already exist within the city.
“It is something that is needed,” Conley said.
Conley said the city had ladder trucks in the past, one about 55 years old, which was donated to a collector. Another ladder truck was 40 years old and was too costly to maintain.
“The standard nationwide is 25 years of service life of an engine,” Conley said. “In some rural communities, like our, we can extend the life of engines a little bit beyond that, but once you get the 35 to 40 year mark, you start pushing that threshold where it’s no longer safe to operate the equipment.”
The AFG program has made $8.1 billion in federal funds available for 2022. Although a 15 percent cash match is typically required, Colusa, because it is a jurisdiction with a population under 20,000, will have a 5 percent match or $60,000.
The City Council approved spending up to $100,000, which will include the cash match and excess cost that exceeds the grant.
Conley said a new QUINT will cost about $1.1 million, based on current estimates.
“I received one quote,” Conley said. “It’s a rough estimate of the model.”
Vanetta said the grant will be submitted before the Feb. 10 deadline, and expects to hear awards no later than April 30.
Colusa officials plan to use developer impact fees for the roughly $100,000 in excess costs, which includes the grant match, and Strike Team funds to outfit the new truck with equipment.
The City Council previously heard a request from Regional Housing for a 50 percent reduction in all development impact fees, comparable to the reduction in fees the City Council gave Colusa Industrial Properties for the Sunrise Landing housing development near the airport.
The City Council on Jan. 3 denied Regional Housing’s request, in part, giving no reduction for fees related to fire, police, City Hall, and streets, given the need in those areas.
The City Council approved a 100 percent reduction in fees related to the corporate yard relocation and community center, along with a 40 percent reduction in fees related to recreation, and a 50 percent reduction in water and sewer, for a total reduction from $459,724 to $310,220.
The housing development will see a reduction in impact fees totalling $2 million over the build-out of the project.
If the grant for the fire truck is awarded, the city will put the purchase out for formal bid. ■