The San Luis Obispo City Council approved a developers’ fee for buildings taller than 50 feet to finance a new fire truck equipped with a 100-foot ladder, scheduled to be purchased next year. Citing the need to plan for a future with more high rises in the downtown area and Cal Poly, the council voted 4-1 to commit itself to a $1.89-per-square-foot fee for tall buildings to finance something grander than the 75-foot ladder engine the city uses now.
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Though the purchase of the $1.04-million fire engine will be voted on at the next council meeting, members decided to set up the fee structure for a taller, bigger ladder engine now. City officials said after the meeting that the vote would probably smooth the way for approval of the engine.
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Vice Mayor Allen K. Settle voted against the truck, citing the recession’s toll on the city’s finances.
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“This is a good example of government buying something before it has the money,” Settle said. “Is anyone sure where our general fund finances will be in a year?”
This article appears in Oct 8-15, 2009.