San Carlos-Belmont Divvy Fire Vehicles at Council Meeting

With the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department fast approaching the October dissolution date, the San Carlos City Council adopted an agreement Monday night to divvy up fire vehicles with Belmont.

Describing it as a good deal, Assistant City Manager Brian Moura told the council Monday that San Carlos will receive seven vehicles worth $347,862 for roughly $49,000, or $7,000 each. The financial agreement deals mostly with a new pumper engine that the joint fire department is still paying off. Belmont, which voted last month to explore forming a stand-alone fire department once the break-up is final, has agreed to take on most of the pumper truck's debt, leaving San Carlos with a $48,779 debt burden through 2018.

The "vehicle asset distribution" item was swiftly approved by the council.

"Whatever happens, these things have to get done," Council Member Bob Grassilli said. "I will vote for this tonight."

Under the agreement, San Carlos will acquire three pumper engines and four light utility vehicles, while Belmont gets four pumper engines, including the newest, three ladder trucks and four light utility vehicles. Two additional light utility vehicles will go into a surplus account, according to the agreement. Belmont is also offering to to take on debt payments on a tractor drawn aerial fire engine, or tiller truck, that the joint district purchased in Feb. 2010. The $1.07 million truck is set to arrive in late March and was paid in part with a $750,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.