Council delays vote on $900,000 budget augmentation and electric garbage truck purchase after debate over costs, roads and warranties

The City of Lincoln City Council took public comment and debated a staff proposal to augment the fiscal-year 2025–26 budget by $900,000 and authorize purchase of a McNeilus Volterra electric residential side-loader garbage truck, but council members opted to table the item for additional due diligence.

Public Works Director Matthew Madill presented the staff report, noting the Advanced Clean Fleet regulation adopted by the California Air Resources Board requires increasing zero-emission fleets for heavy-duty vehicles and that the city is planning a phased transition. Madill described the McNeilus Volterra EV side-loader’s features—improved visibility, tight turning radius for courts and gated areas, advanced driver assistance cameras, and a large 498 kWh battery with an eight-year battery warranty. He recited a driver testimonial saying the truck “offers a superior driving experience” and that an EV trial used 20–40% of charge on light and heavy days respectively.

Madill said the diesel equivalent costs roughly $470,000 (noting total on-road cost for a diesel truck is nearer $540,000 when accessories are included), while the Volterra’s negotiated price for the city was $900,000 after a seller discount (staff said the manufacturer’s list price had been about $1.1 million and that a $200,000 reduction was offered if the city ordered in September). Staff also said the city received a $120,000 HVIP voucher estimate and that electricity could reduce daily energy costs compared with diesel.

Council members and members of the public expressed support for the vehicle’s ergonomics and driver safety but raised several concerns: higher upfront cost and a long payback horizon, battery replacement costs (staff estimated a large battery replacement around $50,000 if needed), supply-chain/backlog risks for delivery, and pavement impacts because the EV truck weighs roughly 10,000 pounds more than a comparable diesel, which staff said could increase pavement cracking and rutting (one staff analysis estimated a 50% increase in equivalent pavement degradation attributable to the heavier axle loading). Several commenters urged the city to seek reference customers and more warranty/operations data before committing.

After extended discussion, during which councilmembers sought additional vendor references and operational metrics and asked staff to pursue further due diligence on costs, warranties, and pavement mitigation, council agreed to table the budget augmentation and purchase authorization and bring the item back at a future meeting so staff can collect references and finalize procurement terms. Staff noted ordering timelines for these vehicles can be long and that delaying could risk losing negotiated incentives, but council chose to prioritize obtaining additional information before committing city funds.