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Regular City Council Meeting <br />July 12„ 2004 <br />Page 13 <br />at those things and see if this is something that the city really has to have <br />because they are looking at 5%. He said what they were going to ask is that the <br />city hold off so they can fully review and understand what they have got to cut <br />to get to their goaL Interim City Manager Townsend said there were two <br />different options in the vote the night that this came to the City Council. One <br />of those was $65,000.00 just to do the HAZ-MAT part of this project and the <br />other was $128,000.00 which was the HAZ-MAT plus the capability to begin <br />the wellness fitness program in the Fire Department. He said that Council <br />chose to do the $128,000.00. <br />Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief, came forward, presenting the City Council with <br />a history of what they had proj ected before when they met with the previous <br />CounciL Mr. Grooms said with the advent of the 5% reduction in the current <br />budget, he is uncomfortable at this point in time with trying to promote this <br />issue until he finds out exactly how that is going to impact his future budgets. <br />He said what he fears is getting into a position to where is having to <br />compromise staffing to pay for equipment and he did not want to get in that <br />compromise and he fears that may be what this will take to get to the 5% <br />reduction. Mr. Grooms said all departments heads met today with Mr. <br />Townsend and there is a concern that needs to be addressed and he does not <br />feel, at this point in time, he is comfortable in making a recommendation to <br />carry on until they know what that impact is going to be. <br />Councilman Wilson asked Mr. Grooms if the total cost for the equipment for <br />the Haz-Mat team was$18,280.00. Mr. Grooms said that is the proposed <br />budget for the equipment. Councilman Wilson said it was his understanding <br />that there was a meeting held with some of the local industries prior to that <br />council meeting. He said that they were going to have to equip themselves and <br />he asked if there was anything that the city could go back to them with and <br />asked them to participate with the city. He mentioned that we could say is that <br />we are going to train the people, but you come up and help pay for this. <br />Councilman Wilson said another thing they could do is set up a fee schedule <br />for the industries since they are the ones that are going to benefit and make sure <br />