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Committee hears request to revive capital equipment replacement fund; $1.26M of fleet needs flagged
Summary
Staff recommended restarting the capital equipment replacement fund (Fund 150) and presented a list of four high‑priority vehicle and equipment replacements totaling about $1.26 million; police and public works leaders warned some vehicles are inoperable and parts are scarce.
City staff told the Budget and Finance Committee that the capital equipment replacement fund (Fund 150) was shut down previously and needs to be restarted to replace aging fleet and equipment. The attachment provided to aldermen lists four high‑priority items with a combined estimated cost of $1,260,000; the amount is not included in the current 01/10 general fund budget.
"For public works, some of the vehicles that's been sitting there, it's like a junkyard in the back... The dump trucks and stuff, they're older. They're 1993 or '95," said Mr. Scroggins, public works (paraphrased). The police department described repeated transmission failures in older patrol vehicles and difficulty obtaining replacement parts: "These are 15 and 16 year models. Without these cars replacing them, we're going to have to make a decision what we're going to do with the limited number of vehicles we have," a police representative said.
Nut graf: Staff characterized the four items as needs rather than wants and asked the committee for guidance on whether to include them now or wait until the county assessor's reassessment is final. Committee members generally favored further analysis and suggested the Budget and Finance advisory committee could focus on reestablishing the Fund 150 and producing a longer‑term funding plan.
Holden said the fund is intended to accumulate depreciation proceeds from departments so replacements are paid across multiple years rather than in a single fiscal year. She explained the city has a "hole" in Fund 150 from prior under‑depreciation and said fully reestablishing the fund will require additional funding beyond the four items identified.
Several aldermen asked staff to delay any final commitment until property assessment returns are available and to prepare a programmatic plan for replenishing Fund 150. "If you're looking for direction tonight... these do not feel like wants. These feel like needs. But I would, like to know where those property assessment numbers land, before we, make any adjustments here," Holden said.
Ending: Staff said it will return with more detailed debt and replacement schedules; public works and police recommended prioritizing vehicles that are inoperable or for which parts are no longer available.
