The Greenville City Council met Dec. 22 to receive department updates, approve a federal grant and review plans to replace a fire truck destroyed in a recent interstate accident.The council, led by Mayor Jae’ques Brown, also approved Resolution 2025-78, authorizing the acceptance of a $27,200 Title III Older Americans Act grant through the South-Central Alabama Development Commission. The funds will support salaries for staff at Greenville’s Nutrition Center.City Clerk Dee Blackmon announced her office has opened an application process for a new administrative assistant, saying, “Now’s a good time to start looking for somebody to come in and help me out and hopefully be trained to take over one day.” The position will remain open until Jan. 9.Police Chief Justin Lovvorn reported that officers recently solved a residential burglary, crediting his investigators for their work. “Investigators went out, located some of the property that was taken out of the residence and backtrack that to an offender,” Lovvorn said. “We were able to charge him with burglary and get most of the property back.”Discussion later turned to the city’s efforts to replace a fire truck that was struck and totaled while responding to a scene on the interstate. Fire Chief Douglas Belletete presented specifications for a new 2025 Spartan S180 pumper, highlighting its performance and safety features.“So, this has a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump,” Belletete said. “All of our vehicles right now, pretty much the highest capacity is 1,250 gallons per minute. So, this one… can pump a little more water. In addition, it has a 20-gallon foam cell. What that means to you guys is that if we use foam on a fire, it puts the fire out quicker and doesn’t allow it to rekindle.”Belletete explained that the department’s current fleet includes two engines and one ladder truck, with an aging reserve truck dating back to 1993. He recommended the city adopt a regular replacement cycle for fire apparatus.“The older a truck gets, the more problems you’re gonna see,” Belletete said. Fifteen years is a good replacement cycle — twenty at the most,” he said.The proposed purchase would cost $838,500 under a 12-year, fixed-rate financing plan at 5.11% interest, with the first payment deferred until February 2027. Blackmon said proceeds from insurance and the sale of the damaged truck will offset the initial costs.Mayor Brown added that the city plans to set aside funds monthly to stay ahead of the payment schedule. “We’ll start basically paying ourselves now,” Brown said. “That way, when the first payment comes due, we’ll already have the money in reserves.” A final decision on the purchase was not reached during the meeting.The meeting concluded with approval of several budgeted expenditures, including $3,848 to Reveal Media for the annual renewal of police body camera software; $4,539 to Coastal Rescue Solutions for replacement hose and accessories lost in Read More