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Committee approves sale of Wausau Fire Department Ladder 2 through broker Brinley Mountain
Summary
The finance committee approved selling Fire Department Ladder 2 through broker Brinley Mountain and discussed timelines, expected proceeds and whether to use a broker or sell directly; members agreed to brokered sale consistent with municipal code advertising requirements.
The Wausau Finance Committee voted to authorize sale of Fire Department Ladder 2 through broker Brinley Mountain.
Committee members discussed options for selling the apparatus, including auction, sealed bids, a brokered sale and direct sale to a buyer in Minnesota that had expressed interest. Staff cautioned that the municipal code requires special-advertisement procedures for items of unusual interest and that selling directly to one buyer could conflict with the code. A staff member recommended Brinley as a broker due to its market reach and reputation; the recommendation noted the broker’s fee (approximately 5 percent) but said brokered sale would likely generate the best market price.
The Fire Chief (name not specified) and staff presented two brand-new stock replacement options and said a stock unit could be available in four to six months; custom-built trucks could take longer. The chief said the department has been without Ladder 2 since March. The chief also told the committee the department spent less than $1,000,000 on the existing truck and that a vendor recommended listing it at $1.2 million.
Alder Gisselman moved to approve sale through Brinley Mountain; Alder Hankey seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote with all present saying “aye.”
Committee members also discussed whether to approve a budget modification before the sale or wait until sale proceeds are confirmed. Several members said they preferred to wait so the budget modification would be budget-neutral; others noted timing pressures because of the department’s limited fleet.
Staff said the sale proceeds would be recorded as sale of a capital asset (revenue) and used to offset the cost of purchasing replacement apparatus; any shortfall would be addressed in a subsequent budget modification. The committee approved the sale method and asked staff to return with sale details and, later, a budget modification after sale completion.
