The Centralia City Council approved a resolution Monday night to seek a grant that would pay most of the cost of a new fire engine. The city is seeking a $1 million federal community project grant through congressman Mike Bost to support the purchase, and if approved the city would pay the rest of the estimated $1.1 million cost of the new vehicle.
The purchase is needed to replace the fire department’s oldest truck, which is over 30 years old. If Centralia is awarded the grant, City Manager Galen Mahle is hopeful that the city could acquire a new truck to fit the fire department’s needs within a year of receiving funding.
Also at last night’s meeting, the city approved a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 representing the public works department. The agreement includes a gradual base wage increase totaling 25% over the course of five years. The agreement also includes language updates to better reflect department operations.
Mahle said he was glad that the 5-year term for the CBA means it will not be negotiated at the same time as police, fire, and dispatcher union agreements in future years. Mahle noted that negotiating all of the city’s collective bargaining agreements in the same year has been time consuming, and having the new agreements end in different years will alleviate that problem.
The council granted City Hope Church permission to use a portion of Fairview Park for a community Easter Egg Hunt on April 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. with setup starting at 11 a.m.
