City Commission Hears From Dept Heads at 2019 Planning Session

City Commissioners now have a better idea of what their departments need and what to budget for in 2019 and fiscal 2020.

Commissioners met with department heads Monday afternoon at Reflections in Toccoa.

One of those department heads was Toccoa Fire Chief Jeff Haslup.

Haslup told Commissioners his department is in need of three new pump fire trucks. Haslup said the three they have now are 20 years old.

“When they bought the pumpers they bought three pumpers and a ladder truck all at the same time,” he explained. “We don’t have to worry about a ladder truck, but I have three pumpers that are getting older. We run two pumpers at everything.”

Each pumper truck he said would cost about $750,000 new.

Mayor Gail Fry said the Commission is in the process of deciding what major purchaes need to go on the next Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and the board will take that request under consideration.

The Fire Department, Haslup said, is also in talks with the the County volunteer Fire Chiefs to work out an automatic aid agreement.

“We’re working on an agreement with the County. So that Stations 2 and 6,  that are really close to the City have the run with us automatically,” he said. “That puts more manpower and fire trucks on the scene. We run a whole lot more fire calls than they do. Station 2 is really close to the City and it’s really beneficial if they run calls with us.”

Haslup said if the County agrees, the partnership could lower the City’s ISO rating to a two from a three.

He said the County fire chiefs will now bring the aid agreement before the County Board of Commissioners for approval.