Wausau Transit Commission approves vehicle purchases, adds summer school trip and names vice chair

The Wausau Transit Commission voted unanimously to buy two 2025 Ford Explorers for supervisor use and to replace portions of the paratransit fleet with two 2025 T350 high‑roof vans and one 2025 E450 cutaway van, and approved adding a second morning summer school trip on the East route. The commission also unanimously named Carol as vice chair at the meeting.

Commission chair said the purchases will use CARES Act funds that the Federal Transit Administration has approved for these uses. Transit staff said the CARES allocation available to the commission was “just shy of a million dollars,” that the commission “pulled $500,000 toward operations” and proposed using roughly $400,000 to replace vehicles, including the supervisor SUVs and the transit vans. Transit staff told the commission the Ford Explorers shown in the packet cost $39,658.40 each.

The votes mark a move to replace aging vehicles the commission described as beyond their useful life or in poor condition. Transit staff said the supervisor vehicles date from 2006 and 2008 and are “rusted out” and “look like completely garbage on the site.” The transit fleet units being replaced include 2012 GMC cutaway or shuttle vehicles; the proposed purchases would leave the commission with a modernized set of four vehicles to serve paratransit and supervisory needs.

Why it matters: the funding depends on an FTA extension that kept CARES funds available to the commission. Transit staff said the FTA granted an extension that made the money “100%” eligible for the purchases, and the commission plans a budget modification at the next council meeting to record the expenditures in its local budget.

Commission discussion focused on cost, vehicle choice and service capacity. One commissioner questioned whether cheaper vehicles could be found and expressed concern about public perception of using CARES funds late in the grant period. Transit staff said the vehicles were chosen from state contract pricing and that an Equinox had been considered but is smaller; staff noted the Explorer is larger and easier to use when transporting multiple drivers, some of whom are larger. The listed Explorer price in the packet was cited as $39,658.40 apiece.

On the paratransit fleet purchase, transit staff said the plan is to replace older vehicles with two high‑roof vans (useful for wheelchair access) and a cutaway van, then sell the old fleet; sale proceeds would be applied against the grant as required. Staff described capacity details: the smaller vans accommodate one wheelchair, larger vans two wheelchairs (or two if seats are removed), and overall vehicle sizing was chosen to balance capacity and driver comfort and safety in winter conditions.

The commission also approved adding a second morning summer school trip to the East route to better serve students who start later or who otherwise would need a long walk from the nearest regular stop. Transit staff said the extra run would require only the incremental cost to run the bus an additional roughly 8 miles and that staff scheduled to work in summer already undertake related vehicle maintenance and other duties.

Finally, the commission accepted nominations and by unanimous vote appointed Carol as vice chair. The meeting closed with an unanimous motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance - Approve purchase of two 2025 Ford Explorers for supervisor vehicles (packet price $39,658.40 each): approved unanimously. - Approve purchase of two 2025 T350 high‑roof vans and one 2025 E450 cutaway van to replace paratransit vehicles: approved unanimously. - Approve adding a second morning summer school trip on the East route: approved unanimously. - Appoint Carol as vice chair: approved unanimously.

What was not decided or remains to be done: the commission will process a budget modification at the next council meeting to record the CARES fund spending; staff said proceeds from selling the replaced vehicles will be applied against the grant as required. Several commissioners asked staff for documentation showing the state contract pricing comparisons and for continued transparency about how remaining CARES funds are allocated.