The Robertsdale City Council met on Monday, Dec. 3, for a meeting and work session. The Council first reviewed and discussed a draft of the Impact Fee Analysis briefing prepared by SARPC for December 2007. They then moved on to bill payment. Bills in the amounts of $400 and $5,193.35 were reviewed. After no questions were heard, said bills were unanimously approved for payment.

Added to the agenda were bids received on a new fire truck for the Robertsdale Fire Department, a custom rescue pumper. Based on provided documents, the lowest qualified bidder was Ferrara Fire Trucks at a cost of $318,560. The R.F.D. has already come up with a structured financing plan for this purchase, with the truck being financed through The City of Robertsdale.

Mayor Charles Murphy, motioned to approve this bid. Votes were unanimously in favor, with no abstentions. In addition to the city’s financing, the truck will also be financed through ad valorem tax revenues. The ad valorem tax is a state tax which raises money for volunteer fire departments. The tax went into effect in 1990, however 1992 was the first year the tax was actually collected.

According to Murphy, the revenue collected off the first round of taxes in 1992 was generated approximately $25,000. Today, that same tax revenue has quadrupled and will play a vital role in the R.F.D.’s purchase of the rescue pumper truck.

The council also voted to reschedule the Jan. 21 meeting due to the holidays. Mayor proposed meeting be moved to the Jan. 22. After brief discussion, council voted unanimously that meeting date would be moved to Jan. 22 at 8 a.m.

The Council has set the Christmas Luncheon for the city employees. It will be on Dec. 14 at the PZK Hall.

With that, the mayor suggested that this was the last subject on the agenda. Nothing more was brought before the Council and Council Members voted unanimously to dismiss for the evening.