MARATHON -- The city of Marathon is buying a new ambulance for $99,943.

The small vehicle, called a "sprinter," will be used to shuttle patients between facilities.

Marathon Fire Chief John Johnson told the City Council last week that the sticker price of the vehicle is lower than the cost of refurbishing an older vehicle, and it also promises better fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.

"It's smaller and won't have all the same firefighting gear aboard as our other vehicles," Johnson said.

Johnson said fire department would hold on to the old unit, keeping it as a reserve in case of emergency.

In other news:

• The Marathon Building Department told the council that it issued 494 permits and completed 745 inspections in May. The Code Enforcement Department also handled 55 code cases during that period, including 14 related to sewer issues. As of last week's meeting, four properties were identified as having failed to connect to the town's wastewater system.

• The council granted three Building Permit Allocations, or BPAs. James Massaro was granted permission to move a building from the old Aloha property on U.S. 1 to Orange Avenue on Grassy Key. Brian Schmitt was allowed to move the old Sue Moore building and one other to a property near Lime Lane and U.S. 1, a few blocks south of 97th Street. William Matthews was granted almost 2,000 square feet of commercial space on a property on Peter Jay Street, in an industrial neighborhood near the airport. All of the BPAs are conditional upon further permit applications and code compliance.

• The Council approved three resolutions that amount to almost $200,000 in savings from previous estimates on the city's sewage system. It also revised change orders for sewage system work on the Keys RV Park amounting to an additional $80,000.

• Councilman Dick Ramsay initiated a discussion about a grant application to the Florida Department of Transportation for more than $1 million for work on the bicycle trail on Aviation Boulevard. After discussing the conceptual plan and being reassured that the final plan could still be tweaked, the council approved a resolution to apply for the funds.

smatthis@keysnews.com