Given current gas prices, Orange Park residents - and at least one Town Councilman, said they are irked to see the town's new 41-foot ladder truck at restaurants all over town.

"They go to breakfast, lunch and dinner. I see them everywhere, every day," said Orange Park resident Larry Carter during the public comment portion of Tuesday night's Orange Park Town Council Meeting. "I got a problem with that. They are wasting fuel, starting that truck up 20 times a day. You can save a lot of taxpayer money if you park it."

Town Manager John Bowles said the town's fire fighters, who are also the town's paramedics, need to train and practice using the 6-month-old truck, for at least a few more months, as recommended by the $800,000 truck's manufacturer.

"If we park it, and don't train with it, we are doing a disservice to the town," Bowles said.

"How much training is required to drive a truck?," said Councilman Pete Morgan. "I don't see Clay County or Duval County fire trucks riding around."

Vice Mayor Jim Renninger, a longtime flight instructor, said he realizes the truck is a sophisticated machine and that this isn't a trivial matter.

"It's not a bicycle you can just jump on and ride," he said, suggesting the town look at the simulator machines he uses for flight training at Florida Community College at Jacksonville. He said there are fire truck training programs. 

Bowles agreed to look in to that.

In other business, the council:

set a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. May 20, to hear an appeal from an attorney representing residents who are opposed to having Waste Not Want Not relocated to a residential area. Waste Not is a 17-year-old food redistribution center that salvages trash-bound food and delivers it to needy people. The town's planning and zoning board approved a rezoning that would allow Waste Not to move to vacant property on Carnes Street. Residents are asking the Town Council to over rule the planning and zoning board's approval.