GENTRY — The city’s fire station addition will be paid off this week, thanks to a generous donation by American Electric Power-Southwestern Electric Power Company.
AEP-SWEPCO donated $185,000 to the city to help with expenses related to the fire department, which also provides fire protection for the Flint Creek Power Plant.
Gentry Mayor Kevin Johnston spoke to Carl Handley, manager of the Gentry plant, about the needs of the fire department asit grows and expands to provide protection to the homes and businesses within its fire district, and Johnson was more than surprised when he received a letter and check from Handley and AEP-SWEPCO with the generous donation.
“The city of Gentry has worked hard to build a fire department with the people, training and equipment needed to provide effective fire protection for the community and our facility,” wrote Handley in a Jan. 23 letter to Johnston. “At Flint Creek Power Plant we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the department as part of our ongoingcommitment to fire protection and safety in all of our plant operations.
“We appreciate the Gentry Fire Department’s continuing efforts to improve its equipment, facilities and service. And we are pleased that our contribution will help the department accomplish that goal,” Handley wrote.
City council members voted unanimously on Monday to use the money to pay off the existing debt on the fire station expansion - a quarters area and additional bays for trucks - approved in 2007. By paying off the remaining balance early,the city will save about $15,000, Johnston told the council.
The city must pay just under $150,000, Johnston said. It had budgeted $165,000 for payments to pay off the five-year note by the end of 2012.
Johnston said he would have the council committees consider other city needs that could be met with money saved in the budget. One area of pressing need for the city mentioned by Johnston was improvements to the city’s animal shelter.
“We don’t want to let the money burn a hole in our pockets,” Johnston said, adding that he wanted the council’s committees to carefully consider how to best use the money saved as a result of the donation.
“They are very good neighbors,” councilman Michael Crawford said of the SWEPCO power plant.
Councilman James Furgason commended both the mayor and SWEPCO for the assistance to the city and made the motion to pay off the debt on the fire station as soon as possible.
AEP-SWEPCO also recently donated an acre of land to the city on the corner of Taylor Orchard and Marion Lee Roads to be used for a future fire department substation.
News, Pages 1 on 02/08/2012