GFD rescue truck needs more repairs than originally thought

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Greencastle Fire Chief John Burgess must have felt like a used-car owner trying to get the most of his faithful old ride when mechanics were turned loose on the department’s 12-year-old rescue truck.

Having been approved during a Nov. 9 special Board of Works meeting for a $32,065 expenditure to install a new motor in the 2009 Pierce Rescue Truck known as Rescue 1, Burgess was back again Wednesday evening to ask for $7,542 more.

“We got a call today that more repairs were going to be needed,” Chief Burgess told Board of Works members Trudy Selvia, Craig Tuggle and Mayor Bill Dory at their regular monthly meeting.

Burgess explained that when the fire department sent Rescue 1 in for repairs in September, it was determined that the motor needed to be rebuilt. However, after getting their hands ON the project, mechanics from MacQueen Emergency, a Cummins Engine repair shop in Aurora, Ill., found there was much more to it.

“We need to replace the radiator,” Burgess began in assessing the additional damage. “It’s broken and they don’t know how it stayed in there.”

The motor mounts are also broken and the wiring harness cracked with some insulation missing. A new oil turbo system and additional O rings are also needed.

Initially upon inspection, it was obvious from wear and tear on the inside that the motor would need to be replaced.

“The block was too deteriorated,” Burgess said of the rescue vehicle.

The original work order shows repair efforts included replacing the short block (including pistons, liners and crankcase) and installing a new cylinder head. Mechanics will have to remove the engine and tear down to the short block, removing and installing transmission, driveshaft, two PTO shafts, exhaust pipe and PTO covers, the work order noted.

The additional $7,542 was approved unanimously amid a bit of frustration.

City Attorney Laurie Hardwick put the matter in perspective, however.

“It’s cheap than a new truck,” she offered.

The board also tabled the refuse and recycling contract and approved cancellation of the 2021 sidewalk project with Joe Spiker Excavating and Construction.

In regard to the latter, Mayor Dory noted delays in concrete delivery have posed a problem with concrete plants in this area being so busy. He said Spiker was actually still working on finishing the city’s 2020 sidewalk project work.

In other business, the board:

-- Approved a one-time sewer leak adjustment (refunding the sewer portion of the water bill) for Alice Sligh, 1231 Bloomington St., who had a major water leak in her shower. The leak has been fixed and Sligh is “right back to a minimum bill where she should be,” Deputy City Clerk Melanie Welker commented of the $1,035.48 adjustment.

-- Approved a sewer leak adjustment for Josh Lady, 409 W. Columbia St., at property owned by Tyler Cox. The one-time sewer bill adjustment was for $579.04.

-- Authorized payment for three emergency repairs relative to water leaks where it wasn’t always possible for the Water Department to get multiple bids back in time to do the work in a timely fashion.

A water leak at 401 N. College Ave. resulted in a $3,835.73 bill from J.A.M.R.R. Excavating, Greencastle. The same firm also repaired a leak at 564 N. U.S. 231 to the tune of $2,081.13 and another at 1238 Kersey Lane for $2,000.

Additional contractors were contacted for the water leak repairs but were unavailable, city officials noted.

The Board of Works will next meet in special session at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23 at City Hall.

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