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Committee approves lease for forestry truck; sale proceeds to help fund replacement
Summary
The committee approved leasing a replacement for the oldest forestry vehicle, using sale proceeds from the 2017 truck and existing forestry fund balances to cover the initial-year payments; future lease payments will be eligible for the debt levy.
The committee approved a plan to replace an aging forestry vehicle by leasing a new Chevrolet Silverado 3,500 and applying the proceeds from sale of the county's 2017 fleet truck toward the lease.
Motion and outcome: Committee member Blake Allison moved to authorize the lease and use sale proceeds from the 2017 vehicle; Ron Stender seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.
Rationale and financial details: Forestry staff explained the department had been on a multi-year vehicle replacement rotation but delayed purchases during the pandemic. The department identified the 2017 truck as the oldest and recommended replacing it with a truck that better meets hauling and equipment needs (the Silverado 3,500). Staff said enterprise leasing or Wisconsin Surplus options exist for disposition; county practice has often realized stronger proceeds through Wisconsin Surplus.
Funding mechanics: Staff reported $50,000 is available in a forestry passbook fund to cover this year's payments; staff proposed using that balance plus proceeds from the sale of the 2017 vehicle as the down payment for the lease. Committee members clarified that future lease payments would be placed on the debt levy (debt-levy-eligible) for 2026 and beyond to preserve operating cash.
Implementation: staff will list the 2017 vehicle for sale (Wisconsin Surplus was discussed as a preferred auction route to maximize proceeds), apply proceeds to the replacement lease, and coordinate trade-in/auction mechanics with procurement. The committee asked staff to return with the lease paperwork and exact payment schedule for the county board.
Ending: the committee approved the lease authorization; staff will complete disposition and financing paperwork and present final figures to the full board.
