Lynn Haven approves roughly $4.5 million in equipment and infrastructure purchases; delays decision on Mill Bayou streetlights

The Lynn Haven City Commission on Oct. 4 approved a series of contracts and equipment purchases totaling roughly $4.5 million for vehicles, public-safety gear, water system upgrades and sidewalk construction, and tabled a requested transfer of streetlights in the Mill Bayou subdivision while asking the neighborhood and Florida Power & Light for more pricing detail.

The actions came during a regularly scheduled meeting at Lynn Haven City Hall where commissioners voted on budgeted and grant-funded items ranging from a custom Sutphen fire engine to new automated meter-reading equipment and a five-year vehicle-tracking contract. The most costly single item approved was a Sutphen custom fire engine for $1,036,122; an FDOT Local Agency Program agreement to build the Tennessee Avenue sidewalk (Phase 2) — fully reimbursable to the city — was approved at about $1.18 million.

Why it matters: the purchases replace aging fleet and complete planned infrastructure projects, city staff said, and several of the items are tied to restricted funds or grant reimbursements. The approvals touch public safety (new engine, bunker gear, thermal cameras), sanitation and public works (garbage and knuckle-boom trucks, front-end loader), and long-running utility upgrades (water meters and lift-station engineering) that city staff said are necessary to maintain service levels.

Key approved items and context

- Fire equipment and public-safety gear: The commission approved purchase of a custom Sutphen fire engine for $1,036,122 (funded in the FY26 budget, noted staff) and 24 sets of new, PFAS-free bunker gear at $111,514.80. The commission also approved $77,920 for eight thermal-imaging cameras. Fire Chief Mark Johnson told the commission the 1998 engine has become unreliable and that the bunker-gear purchase aligns with state standards to reduce firefighters' exposure to PFAS.

- Fleet and public-works equipment: The commission approved a Komatsu front loader for $216,756.97, a Peterbilt Labrie side-loader garbage truck for $408,740.81, and a Peterbilt knuckle-boom truck for $238,000 to support sanitation and stormwater operations. City staff said sanitation is an enterprise fund and those acquisitions were included in equipment planning.

- Water system and technology contracts: The commission approved $749,060 to Core & Main for water meters and transmitters as part of the city's automatic meter reading (AMI) rollout; City staff said roughly 6,000 meters are currently on the AMI system and the purchase continues the multi-year replacement program. The commission also approved a 60-month Samsara contract for GPS hardware and…