Council approves $288,042 replacement garbage truck and awards fleet maintenance RFP to two vendors

The Weatherford City Council approved two related fleet items: the purchase of a replacement commercial trash truck from Doggett Freightliner of Austin for $288,042 and the award of RFP 2025‑024 for fleet maintenance and repair services to two vendors (2033 Automotive and Black Fox Services) with an annual cap not to exceed $125,000.

Staff said the trash truck is a budgeted replacement for an 11‑year‑old vehicle. The presenting staff member reported the unit scheduled for replacement has about 12,000 engine hours — roughly equivalent to 360,000 miles when calculated at an average of 30 mph — evidence of heavy use. If council approved the purchase, staff said they would write a letter of intent and could take delivery as soon as October; the vehicle is a standard configuration and could be built quickly.

On the fleet maintenance RFP, staff explained the two-vendor award streamlines competitive use across departments while allowing departments flexibility to send vehicles to a preferred shop in urgent cases. Councilmember Heidi Wilder asked whether the draft service agreement overlapped with existing lease agreements; staff said leased patrol vehicles (about 14 leased patrol cars) have a leasing company that coordinates with the city’s chosen shop to verify pricing and repairs, and that the RFP is not intended to replace those arrangements. Staff also noted the award does not require the city to send every repair to the contracted vendors and that the $100,000 threshold referenced by purchasing would trigger broader review of vendor use.

Council voted to approve both items. For the trash truck, council confirmed funding is in the budget; for the RFP award staff emphasized the award helps with response speed when maintenance is urgent and with ensuring competitive pricing across shops.