Kanarraville board authorizes auction of surplus equipment, directs staff to seek state contract pricing for a plow truck and tightens purchase approvals

The Kanarraville Town Board on May 14 approved placing a list of surplus vehicles and equipment for public auction, directed staff to obtain state-contract pricing for a new one-ton truck with a plow, and amended the town purchasing policy so that purchases by a department already over budget must be approved by the board.

Town staff briefed the board on options to obtain favorable pricing through state contract vehicles and said they had contacted the state contract manager; staff said the state contact told them, "you give me a wish list of what you want" and would work to find the best nationwide deal. Staff also reported a possible trade-in value of about $21,050 for the town's 2019 Ford F-150, which the board discussed keeping for daily use while buying a plow-capable one-ton for public-works use.

The board debated whether to keep the 2019 truck and buy an additional one-ton vehicle or to trade the existing truck toward a new one. Members discussed configurations (single-axle versus dually, long-bed versus short-bed) and suggested a single-axle one-ton with a long bed and an XLT equipment/package as likely options that would resell well. Staff said they would request prices from the state-contract vendor and report back.

Surplus equipment and vehicles: The board voted to put a list of surplus vehicles and equipment up for auction (items mentioned during discussion included older trucks such as a 1993 F-350 flatbed, a 1983 GMC 7,000 dump truck, a 1992 L800/10-wheeler, a 1994 Chevy S-10 and various attachments and implements). Staff described two auction options: an online government auction platform (two-week online bidding) or an in-person one-day public auction; the board authorized staff to proceed with online auction preparations and to prepare the item list for public posting.

Purchasing policy change: Board members also discussed recurring mid-year over-budget situations and whether ad-hoc purchases should require board review. The board approved an amendment to the purchasing policy requiring board approval for new purchases by a department that is already over budget (the motion removed a fixed-dollar example and applied the rule generally). Members said the change is intended to bring greater oversight and to ensure expenditure decisions when budget flexibility is limited by loan or debt service obligations.

Actions: The board approved the auction list and authorized staff to set up the auction; authorized staff to obtain state-contract pricing and pursue a one-ton plow truck specification based on staff and public-works input; and approved the purchasing-policy amendment requiring board approval for purchases when a department is over budget. Staff said they would run pricing and return with recommendations; the auction items will be listed once staff finalizes the inventory.