By Tony Cantú
Contributing Writer

Anticipating the sale of its backup fire engine to a town in Mexico, Alamo Heights City Council recently approved a plan to borrow a truck from either Olmos Park or Terrell Hills, if needed.

At the most recent City Council meeting March 10, council members authorized City Manager Becky Waldman to enter into an interlocal agreement with one of its sister cities, enabling them to borrow a back-up fire engine should it become necessary. The need was triggered because of a pending sale of its aging truck to the town of Nueva Rosita, Mexico, for $20,000.

Once that sale takes place, the city will be left with just one engine while it awaits receipt of a new state-of-the art Quint Fire Apparatus, for which funding was previously approved. The city is expected to take ownership of that truck by December, but it may arrive as early as July, city officials noted in a memorandum to council.

Fire Engine 4 -- the backup truck headed to Mexico – is expected to lose its needed certification by the Insurance Service Office Inc. The so-called ISO certification is a rating used by insurers to determine premiums charged on commercial and private fire insurance.

In a memo, Alamo Heights Interim Fire Chief William Hal Woodward noted his department has loaned its own back-up engine to Terrell Hills and Olmos Park in the past when their own fire truck has been out of service. To enhance the likelihood the other cities would agree to the swap, he outlined several terms:

• The safety of Terrell Hills and Olmos Park residents would not be jeopardized;

• The city would assume civil liability for all damages that may occur to the Terrell Hills or Olmos Park fire engine while in use by Alamo Heights;

• As a further safeguard, similar civil liability stemming from any property damage or personal injury would be assumed by Alamo Heights, with inclusion of Terrell Hills and Olmos Park to its liability and property insurance as an additional insured.

• The agreement may be terminated at any time by either city with 30 days’ notice.

In other action, Public Works Director Shawn Eddy briefed council on his plan to secure funding for street repair work from VIA Transit. Eddy said he would utilize $712,343 from VIA’s Metropolitan Local Assistance Program to help fund four capital projects: reconstruction of East Castano Avenue from Vanderhoven Drive to North New Braunfels Avenue; repair and overlay of East Castano Avenue from Broadway to Vanderhoven; repair and overlay to North New Braunfels Avenue from Burr Road to Austin Highway; and repair and overlay on Broadway from Austin Highway to the northern city limits.

City Council approved an ordinance that authorized Eddy’s securing the VIA funds, which would be combined with proceeds from a recent $7.5 million debt issuance for completion of several capital improvement projects.

At the Feb. 25 council meeting, Eddy outlined the East Castano work, which represents the first project to be financed with proceeds from the debt issue. In addition to surface repairs, plans call for expansion of the main artery from two lanes to four, construction of sidewalks on the north end and replacement of water and sewer lines. Roadwork is expected to begin after school lets out for the summer in order to minimize inconvenience to residents, he said.