Crystal City Approves $1.13 Million Fire Truck, Advances Tennis Court Renovation
The truck is expected in 2030. A Mississippi Avenue resident also pitched a Halloween celebration featuring a “Great Pumpkin Glow.”
By The Jefferson Review
CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. — Crystal City will spend $1.13 million on a new fire truck, with delivery expected in 2030. The City Council approved the purchase Monday, Nov. 2, and authorized construction inspection and testing services for the tennis court renovation at Crystal City Municipal Park.
Why the city chose this truck
The council authorized a contract with MacQueen Equipment, LLC. Officials said the city reviewed multiple bids and considered demonstration trucks before settling on the new truck. During that process, the fire chief pared down the initial equipment list at the city’s request.
During the discussion, officials pointed back to the case the city made to voters for public safety funding. New equipment for police and fire, including fire trucks, was part of what the city told residents it wanted to pay for.
Tennis court renovation moves toward construction
The city has received a grant for the renovation and had already authorized design and bidding work earlier this year. Officials said they would review construction bids before deciding how much of the grant to use for engineering, with the goal of putting as much of the award as possible toward construction. February council agenda
A Halloween proposal for Mississippi Avenue
Alexandra Chandler, who lives near the 400 block of Mississippi Avenue, proposed closing the street to traffic from the bridge to the elementary school for Halloween in 2027. She pictured pumpkins hanging from trees, a house-decorating contest and a “Great Pumpkin Glow” with carved jack-o’-lanterns lining the avenue.
Under her proposal, families could pick up pumpkins at City Hall, carve them at home and bring them back for display. Council members asked how a closure would affect parking and access for residents, and how the hours might work in years when Halloween falls on a school night. The discussion ended with plans to bring together a small committee and return with a more detailed proposal.
Airport Road and other business
The council approved a preliminary plan to subdivide the Goodwin property on Airport Road into light industrial lots. A final plan is expected to come back to the council after further review.
Separately, officials discussed the planned James Hardie manufacturing plant. In response to a question about when the city could see revenue from the project, an official estimated it could still be three to four years away. The city remains in regular contact with the company, and officials said the project will require additional water capacity.
Public works crews also reported repairing a water main break near Mercy Hospital Jefferson. The break was beneath a concrete footing, and crews worked underneath it to make the repair and keep water available to the hospital.
The council also heard from Rodney Bickel, co-founder of the Canine Companion Therapy Program. Bickel offered to make the group’s volunteer dog-and-handler teams available to police and firefighters after a crisis. He said the program logged about 2,000 interactions in Crystal City through October and already visits local schools and the library. Canine Companion Therapy Program
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