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Commission tables decision on bucket truck purchase, asks staff for updated cost figures
Summary
After debate over paying cash versus a four-year lease, commissioners voted to table the bucket-truck purchase to obtain current firm prices; staff said an earlier 2023 quote showed an outright purchase under budget but commissioners wanted updated figures before finalizing.
HARRINGTON, Kan. — The Harrington City Commission tabled a decision on a previously authorized bucket-truck acquisition after commissioners asked staff to obtain current, hard numbers before final purchase or lease approval.
City staff explained the truck was ordered in 2023 to replace an out-of-service unit with no available parts. The smaller bucket truck under consideration is intended to serve tight residential areas that larger units cannot reach. Staff said the total project had been budgeted in the capital outlay fund and that prior quotes from 2023 put an outright purchase cost around $217,964 (including extended warranties and delivery). Staff also presented a leasing option through Community Leasing Partners: a $50,000 down payment and a four-year amortization with total interest that would add roughly $20,000 over cash purchase. Commissioners asked for updated cost confirmations rather than relying on two-year-old quotes.
Some commissioners favored paying cash to avoid interest costs; others favored leasing to preserve capital for anticipated future purchases of larger bucket trucks that may carry multi-hundred-thousand-dollar price tags. After a motion to table, the commission voted to postpone the matter to the next meeting and asked staff to confirm current purchase price, delivery and warranty costs and any updated lease rates.
Adjourned discussion means the city will not commit funds until staff returns with current bids or a firm invoice; staff said the truck is available but that the city has not yet completed the final payment path.
