Fraser council approves purchase of three DPW pickup trucks for about $199,616

The Fraser City Council on Sept. 11 authorized the public works department to purchase three Ford F-250 four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and to surplus four older vehicles, at a total all-in cost the city recorded as $199,616. The request came from DPW staff during the council's new-business discussion. "The public works department is seeking authorization to purchase 3 Ford F-250 pickup trucks, 4 by fours," a DPW representative said during the meeting.

City staff told council the truck purchases were included in the capital plan and in the adopted budget; the department said it budgeted $215,000 for the acquisitions and related outfitting, and that the proposed purchase would come in below that amount. Council members also heard that the department plans to auction four older vehicles: a 2006 dump truck, a 2016 Ram, a 2017 Ford Fusion (reported to have about 15,000 miles), and a 2012 Chevy 3,500 pickup truck.

Council member Bransky moved the purchase and council member Shornack seconded. The council voted to approve the acquisition per the packet specifications. Council did not attach any additional conditions at the time of the vote.

The public-works presenters said each new truck will be outfitted differently (a salt box for one vehicle, a tool rack for another, and an arrow board for a third) and that the dealer would install spray-in bed liners. Staff said the purchases are through an existing cooperative purchasing contract (vendor discounting/contracting mechanism) that had been vetted through the city's procurement process.

The council took the vote during the Sept. 11 meeting after the council returned from a closed session earlier in the evening. No supplemental motions or budget amendments were required at the time of approval.