Commission discusses tender truck options, tanks and budget timing

Commissioners reviewed options for a new tender truck to support seasonal crews and discussed capacity, chassis size and the purchase timeline.

Staff member Jessica said the district needs a truck sized to pull trailers and carry tanks; she advised not outfitting it as a truck-mounted sprayer but including a hand line on the tanks. Commissioners discussed 3/4-ton versus 1-ton chassis. One speaker said the current vehicle is a 1-ton with roughly 300 gallons on rack; another commissioner favored a 1-ton flatbed with a mounted tender unit. Participants noted 300 gallons is a typical tank size on existing vehicles, and that larger chassis (a 550 chassis example) can carry up to about 500 gallons.

Commissioners discussed the preferred vehicle age. Some members expressed a preference for units 7 years and newer to avoid emissions/maintenance tradeoffs; others cautioned that buying overly new vehicles can also increase maintenance complexity. One commissioner summarized that Bill (a staff member referenced) preferred to avoid purchasing vehicles older than 10 years to reduce future maintenance overhead.

The purchase is already budgeted, speakers said, and one commissioner asked what had been set aside. A figure of "80" was mentioned during discussion; the transcript did not specify currency or units and commissioners did not provide a formal dollar figure at the meeting. Commissioners indicated a goal to have the vehicle in place before the end of the current fiscal year (by July 1) and agreed staff should check availability and bring recommendations back to the commission. If an appropriate used unit is found, commissioners said they have the ability to place it on the agenda quickly with one week's notice.

No formal motion to purchase was made at the meeting; commissioners instructed staff to research options, pricing and configurations and report back at or before the March meeting.