Bettendorf staff seek council approval to amend purchase orders after multi-year delay raises plow truck costs
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
City public works officials told the Committee of the Whole that supply-chain shortages, federal emissions changes and inflation raised chassis costs for plow trucks bought under a Sourcewell cooperative contract; staff asked the council to approve amending existing purchase orders and to place the item on the consent agenda.
Public Works Director Brian Schmidt told the Bettendorf Committee of the Whole on May 5 that the city is seeking council approval to amend existing purchase orders for municipal plow trucks after multi‑year manufacturing delays and cost increases. "All seven of these chassis will be model year 2026," Schmidt said, adding the Sourcewell cooperative price still provides a 31% discount off MSRP but does not offset inflationary increases in steel, labor and emissions‑related equipment.
The request covers chassis previously ordered under council authorizations in February 2022 and June 2023 and purchased through Ascendance Trucks of Eastern Iowa (formerly Thompson Truck and Trailer) via Sourcewell. Schmidt told the committee the international chassis are being built, that Henderson Products in Manchester, Iowa will do final outfitting, and that Henderson has not increased its outfitting prices. He said the city has reserves in the road use and vehicle replacement funds to cover the higher chassis costs and that once older trucks are retired the city will return auction proceeds to the vehicle replacement fund.
The committee discussed funding sources and long‑term impacts. A staff member identified only as Jason said the cost increases were anticipated in the January reestimate and are reflected in an amended budget that will go to public hearing in two weeks, and that funding would be shared between the road use fund and the vehicle replacement fund. Jason added that the vehicle replacement fund is primarily supported by a sales tax set by referendum that directs 40% of sales tax revenue to capital purchases. Councilmembers pressed staff on whether the city is locked into current prices (Schmidt said the price is locked) and on the scale of the increase since pre‑COVID years (Schmidt estimated roughly a 70% increase compared with earlier pricing, citing new emissions equipment and diesel exhaust fluid systems).
Staff asked that the item be placed on the council's consent agenda for the next regular meeting; the committee voted to do so. No final appropriation or amendment was adopted at this meeting — the committee placed the PO amendment on the consent agenda for council action the following evening.
Why it matters: the amended purchase orders would preserve discounted cooperative pricing and keep the city in the manufacturer's build queue, but will draw down reserves in funds used for road and equipment replacement. Council members asked for clarity on long‑term impacts to the vehicle replacement fund and the city's pavement management priorities.
What happens next: the PO amendment will appear on the council consent agenda at the regular meeting for a formal vote.