The town of Jasper has entered into a borrowing lease in order to move into the Provincial building.

The lease, which is ten years in length, covers a portion of the building. Town Manager George Krefting explains that whenever the town enters a ten-year lease, it is required to pass a borrowing bylaw.

Rent for the provincial building will cost $18,708 a year, for a grand total of $187,080 over the complete term.

Firefighters get SCBA units

The Jasper fire department has also received approval to move $50,000 from reserves to purchase 16 self-contained breathing aparatus (SCBA) units.

The breathing aparatus allows firefighters to enter hazardous or contaminated sites. The current units used by the department don’t meet the national standard. After forming a committee, the department decided to purchase SCOTT SCBA’s which reach the national standard.

The units cost $86,940 for the department, who also recently purchased a new truck for deputy fire chief Ron Stanko.

The town had budgeted $86,940 for capital purchases in 2009, so money was required from the reserves to cover the new truck. There is still another $380,000 in the emergency services reserve.