By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

CLANTON — The Clanton Fire Department was approved to purchase a new pickup truck during the Feb. 27 Clanton City Council meeting.

Councilman Sammy Wilson made a motion, which was unanimously approved, for the department to purchase a three-quarter-ton truck. The truck will cost $34,543.

Initially, Fire Chief David Driver requested to purchase a half-ton truck for $33,859, then add a cover to the back, which would cost an additional $2,000.

Driver also presented the cost for purchasing an Expedition.

“It [the Expedition] was actually about $4,000 or $5,000 cheaper, and that includes the cover,” Driver said. “In my opinion, a pickup truck would be more beneficial to what we’re going to use it for.”

All of the prices were through the state bid program.

The truck will either be used as a medical vehicle or swapped with the Expedition Driver is using. If the vehicles are switched, then the Expedition Driver is using would become the medical vehicle.  Driver said he wants to see the vehicle to determine which will best serve the need, although he thinks the pickup will probably make the better medical vehicle because of its towing capabilities.

Having another medical vehicle will put extrication equipment at all three fire stations.

The cost for the vehicle is well below the $75,000 originally budgeted for a medical van. Driver said at a previous meeting that since the department already had the equipment, a truck would be sufficient.

The council also approved a change order to the sewer project for St. Vincent’s Chilton. The change reduces the cost by $5,000. The project was paid for through a Community Development Block grant. Mayor Billy Joe Driver said the change had been approved by the utility board, but needed to be approved by the council because they were the ones that had received the grant.

Paying bills to the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce, Giddens Inc. (for drainage work) and Wiregrass construction (for road resurfacing) was also approved.