The City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday night to accept a federal port security grant to purchase a modern fire and rescue boat that meets the requirements of the grant, but what kind of boat will be purchased has not been determined.
Fire Chief Peter Connerton and the Fire Department applied for the grant based on the acquisition of a Moose Boat manufactured in California that has dual 1,000-gallon-per-minute pumps and is powered by twin 425-horsepower turbo diesel engines, but City Manager Joseph J. Nicholson Jr. made it clear the city will review boats offered by other manufacturers as well.
Council members Kathryn E. Leonard and Justin S. McLaughlin voted against accepting the grant at this point in the process. Leonard said the order of city actions is “backwards.” She argued the city should first determine what type of boat it wants, and then vote whether to accept the grant.
The council majority of Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, Vice Chairman Marco T. Camacho and council members Lynn Underwood Ceglie, John Florez and Naomi L. Neville argued the grant represents an opportunity for the city and it is time to move the process forward and begin determining the specifications of a boat that will meet the city’s needs.
Nicholson said the city has plenty of time to undertake a thorough vetting process before purchasing a boat.