Whiteville staff recommend $600,000 sewer 'jet' truck purchase from sewer fund and operations; council to form advisory committee on ladder truck

Whiteville staff told council that a replacement sewer “jet” truck — presented as a roughly $600,000 purchase — is needed because the current unit is beyond its useful life and maintenance costs are rising. The staff member proposed funding the purchase with $400,000 from the sewer fund and $200,000 from operations.

The presenter said the existing jet truck is two years past its useful life, that a smaller pull-behind unit handles residential work but cannot replace the larger unit used on major lines, and that the new truck handles much larger-diameter lines. The staff member said the sewer fund has grown to a healthy balance (cited around $3,400,000 in presentation) and that using a portion of that balance would avoid higher financing costs.

On financing, the presenter warned that financing the truck could be expensive, quoting a figure in the presentation that “financing it… was gonna cost us about $5,060,000 dollars over the next 3 years.” That figure drew clarification requests from council; the presenter framed the staff recommendation as a combination of fund-balance contribution and pay-as-you-go operations rather than long-term financings that would increase debt service pressure.

The presenter also urged the council to consider upcoming, larger debt needs (including a roughly $4,900,000 lift-station project) when deciding how much fund balance to use now, saying the city should preserve capacity for that future debt.

On fire apparatus, the presenter recommended forming an advisory committee — including outside stakeholders and staff — to evaluate alternatives for replacement of a ladder truck. The presenter said the ladder-truck price has risen from roughly $1,700,000 (in 02/2021) to about $2,700,000 now and that the purchase would come from the general fund, which faces the greatest near-term pressure. He recommended a multi-stakeholder review and a recommendation to council by the end of the calendar year.

Council members and staff agreed the ladder truck decision requires more study and broader input. “It warrants that same level of attention and consideration,” the staff member said, citing prior large-public projects that used committees, multiple bids and broader evaluation.

Ending: staff will return with more detailed financing options and committee recommendations; council asked for additional analysis before any final apparatus purchase is authorized.