With extra funds available because of a grant received by the Newton Fire Department, the Newton City Council gave the go ahead to fund additional projects not currently in the budget.
In the 2015 Bond Issue, $200,000 was allocated for the purchase of a pumper/tanker of the fire department. Following the department receiving the “Assistance to Firefighter Grant” through Federal Emergency Management Agency, only $11,750 was needed for the purchase.
“The fire department found out that it had received a grant to cover the cost of the purchase,” city administrator Bob Knabel said. “That leaves roughly $188,000 of bonded proceeds that can be used for other purposes or to pay down the bond issue itself.”
The council had two options for the money, use it to pay down the bond issue or recommit the funds to other eligible projects. The council gave the consensus to move forward with projects which include a brush truck for the fire department, K9 vehicle for the police department, EMS software program and implementation, police department evidence system and processing software and equipment and ADA upgrades for city parks.
Fire Department Brush Truck
The brush truck is a one ton pickup body with a flatbed brush fire attack unit. The vehicle is expected to cost a total of $90,000, with the city paying $55,000 after a $35,000 trade in.
The vehicle would serve multiple uses including off-road support for fighting grass fires and pulling trailers holding the Ranger, the Hazardous Materials Response unit and fire-safe house. It is also four-wheel drive capable and can be used in the winter time when roads are difficult to pass with standard vehicles.
Police Department K9 Vehicle
As a part of the comprehensive approach the police department is taking to develop a narcotics initiative, the addition of a narcotics K9 unit would enhance the enforcement efforts and provide a higher lever of investigative resources to the officers. The addition of a narcotics canine would require a specially equipped police vehicle to transport the dog during a patrol shift as well as to and from the handler’s home when off duty. The cost of the vehicle is $26,000.
Fire and EMS Records Management Software
Currently, the department is working on software that is licensed through a third party vendor that provides the software at a reduced rate. A problem with the reduced rate is that it does not allow for customization of the product resulting in duplication of efforts in certain areas.
The $40,000 software would be able to record patient information, including signatures, electronically while on scene and it will have the ability to import documents directly into patient care reports without printing and rescanning.
Police Department Evidence System and Processing Software
The Police Department currently uses a paper system for the logging and tracking of evidentiary items which requires a great deal of personnel time to continuously monitor and inventory. Evidence and other property in possession of the department is required to be purged or returned to the owner after a specified time period based on the level of crime the property is associated with, Knabel said.
An evidentiary software system at a cost of $10,000 would streamline the process and would automatically send the evidence technician alerts to purge or return property and also provide a court defensible and secure property and evidence log that tracks chain of command for court purposes. Currently this is done via paper and the loss of this documentation can be detrimental to court cases. The software would also assist in evidence room inventory and keep the department in compliance with State of Iowa laws relating to evidence tracking, retention and audits.
Equipment and ADA Upgrades in City Parks
In an effort to update facilities to American with Disabilities Act in Newton, $57,000 would be put towards efforts in the city parks to comply with the standards and update equipment. Currently, the baseball field, Eversman Field, the shelter at Woodland Park and the Kiwanis and South Shelter at Maytag Park do not meet ADA standards. Also, new playground equipment at Lincoln and Callison Parks will help make them more attractive to families.
The past several years, the city has budgeted $25,000 per year to help move the city toward compliance but there is still a substantial amount of work to be done.
“I am grateful that we have the opportunity to come back and get ahead on additional projects, both with the investment in the software and also with some of the larger purchases that we always decide year by year what we can do,” council member Noreen Otto said. “It is nice that we have a sort of windfall that we can take advantage of and get ahead on some of these issues.”
Newton Director of Finance and Development Bryan Friedman has reviewed the chosen projects and determined they are eligible to funding through the 2015 Bond ordinance. The specific items will need to go before council before they are approved for purchase.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com