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Central Unified approves purchase of delivery trucks, electric vans and vending machines for child nutrition; chargers and repairs follow
Summary
The board approved purchases and repairs for Child Nutrition: four gas box trucks, four Ford Lightning electric trucks, four vending machines, and repairs to existing trucks. Trustees asked about charging infrastructure and costs; staff said chargers will be purchased separately and estimated rough per‑charger costs.
The Central Unified Board approved multiple Child Nutrition purchases and repairs on May 13, including fuel and electric vehicles, vending machines to distribute reimbursable meals, and truck repairs.
Director Engel and other staff told trustees the district had not added vehicles to its fleet since 2017 and needs additional trucks to deliver meals as the district grows. The board approved purchase of four gas box trucks and four Ford Lightning electric trucks under an Omni purchasing contract; trustees voted 7‑0 to authorize the purchases. Director Engel noted a California regulation requires phasing out gas and diesel vehicles over time and that the district chose an electric pathway for a portion of fleet purchases to meet that requirement.
Trustees asked how the district will charge the electric Lightning trucks. Staff said district facilities will install chargers in conjunction with food‑service sites; chargers and installation will be purchased separately. Staff estimated per‑charger installation costs “under $1,500” but characterized that estimate as preliminary and said they would return exact figures.
The board also approved the purchase of four vending machines (two for Central East campus and two for Justin Garza) to provide reimbursable breakfast and lunch items outside the cafeteria for students who don’t come into the cafeteria. Director Hagle said machines will be stocked with reimbursable cold breakfasts (cereal with milk/fruit/juice) and cold lunches (sandwiches, wraps, salads and prepackaged meals) and use PIN codes rather than cash. Trustees approved that purchase 7‑0.
Separately, the board approved repairs to existing trucks (new lift gates, e‑tracks, roll‑up doors, floors and cameras) to bring vehicles back into service; staff said many of the vehicles have under 30,000 miles and repair is cost‑effective. The truck‑repair and vending purchases will be funded from available child‑nutrition and COVID‑related infrastructure funds per staff comments.
Trustees supported the purchases and asked staff to return final charger pricing and site‑installation plans; the board approved all child‑nutrition items by unanimous votes.
