Wausau approves contingent sale of ladder truck 2 and contingent purchase of demo replacement

The Wausau Finance Committee on June 24 approved a contingent sale of Fire Department Ladder Truck 2 and authorized a contingent sole-source purchase of a demo replacement truck, with both actions conditioned on the buyer completing the purchase.

Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp told the committee the truck sale to a buyer in Osceola, Wisconsin, was expected to close Friday and that the buyer had requested and received certain repairs and detailing. The sale price discussed in open session was $1,100,000; a five-percent broker fee of $55,000 to Brinley was also noted. Chief Kopp described plans to ship the truck after final inspection and to use sale proceeds to help fund the replacement purchase.

Chief Kopp described the replacement as a demo model priced at $1,288,022, which exceeded estimated sale proceeds by roughly $188,000. The committee discussed using GEMT (Medicaid reimbursement) funds and the incoming sale proceeds so the transaction would be budget neutral. Chief Kopp said the demo vehicle is "like new" and staff described the purchase as contingent on receiving the sale proceeds.

Alder Henke moved to approve the sale contingent on closing; Alder Gisselman seconded and the committee approved the contingent sale by voice vote. Alder Henke then moved to approve the sole-source purchase and budget modification for the replacement ladder truck contingent on the sale; Alder Tierney seconded and the motion carried. Committee members noted that if the sale failed, "everything is back to the drawing board," and the purchases and associated budget moves would be re-evaluated.

Less critical details: staff said work done by the buyer on requested items included generator warranty work, lights, cleaning and detailing, and reattachment of ladder-related components for shipment.