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Council approves budget amendment and conditional purchase of bucket truck from Alpena Power
Summary
Council authorized a $31,000 budget transfer to buy a 2014 Freightliner bucket truck from Alpena Power Company for $30,000, pending a satisfactory mechanical inspection; staff said acquiring the vehicle would avoid an estimated $10,000 mandatory recabling on the existing 1984 truck and defer the higher cost of a new unit.
The Alpena City Council on June 16 approved a budget amendment to transfer $31,000 from the equipment fund balance to capital vehicles and authorized the conditional purchase of a 2014 Freightliner bucket truck from Alpena Power Company for $30,000, pending a satisfactory inspection.
Fleet manager Doug Rusniewski reviewed the offered truck and told the council the vehicle appeared sound; staff noted the city's existing 1984 bucket truck is aging and would soon require an estimated $10,000 recabling. A new bucket truck would cost about $250,000, staff said, while comparable used trucks in the marketplace were quoted at roughly $55,000 but in poorer condition.
The council approved two motions: one to transfer funds from the equipment fund balance to the capital-vehicles account for $31,000, and a second motion to purchase the 2014 Freightliner from Alpena Power for $30,000 pending a satisfactory inspection by city mechanics. Staff said the purchased truck will need a safety cage over the cab for tree-cutting operations; that work is estimated at about $1,000 and can be completed in-house.
Council members asked about disposal of the old bucket truck; staff said the city typically sells surplus equipment on an auction site and that results vary. The fleet manager said if post-inspection repairs would push the total cost above the city's threshold staff would return to council before finalizing the purchase.
The two motions carried by voice vote.
