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Public works presents fleet‑replacement plan and EV charging study tied to Lakefront Park lift station
Summary
Public Works staff outlined a multi‑biennium fleet and equipment replacement plan, recommended transitioning to hybrid/electric vehicles as feasible, and said the city will study charging infrastructure and resiliency (including possible linkage to the Lakefront Park lift station generator).
Public Works staff presented an overview of the city’s vehicle and equipment fleet, recommended prioritizing several replacements and a transition to hybrid or electric vehicles where feasible, and described a planned study of EV charging infrastructure tied to resiliency and the Lakefront Park lift station.
Why it matters: the presentation covered multiple capital items, including pickup trucks, a street sweeper repair estimated at about $30,000, slope‑mower and riding mower replacements slated for 2026, and longer‑term purchases such as a dump truck and a large street sweeper. The choices affect the city’s capital budget, maintenance costs and its approach to electrification.
Details and discussion
Staff reported the public works fleet includes heavy‑duty trucks, medium‑duty trucks, pickup trucks, administrative vehicles and equipment such as a street sweeper and a slope mower. Three vehicles were identified as high‑priority replacements; staff noted some listed replacement years are past and that a corrected replacement/budget spreadsheet will be returned to council. For one example, staff cited a projected price of about $66,900 for a Ford F‑150 hybrid variant that is not currently on the state contract and would require additional procurement steps.
On fuel and maintenance, staff presented historic fuel and maintenance costs and said a roughly $30,000 maintenance bill for the street sweeper will likely fall into the 2025 budget year. “We will transition to hybrid vehicles as we can,” the presenter said, adding staff would evaluate available hybrid and electric models and the city’s ability to maintain them.
Councilmembers asked about procurement timing and aligning replacement years with the biennial budget. Staff said fleet chiefs are already identifying vehicles and equipment and that staff plan to return April 24 with materials for action and are preparing to lock in available state contract prices where possible.
Charging infrastructure and resiliency
Staff described an EV charger study that will address transformer and panel upgrades, charger sizing, and resiliency needs. The lift station being built as part of the Lakefront Park project will include emergency generator power that can be tied to park structures; staff said that may create an opportunity for resilient charging infrastructure at the bayfront site. Councilmembers asked about backup battery banks and whether solid‑state battery technology could play a role in future planning.
Ending
Staff will return with an updated spreadsheet tying replacements to biennial budget years, cost estimates and a procurement plan. Councilmembers directed staff to provide clearer alignment between the fleet replacement schedule and the department’s budget spreadsheet before formal purchase decisions.
