Alva approves five-year lease for Pelican street sweeper; utility authority amends budget and OKs HERCO vacuum lease; two resolutions die

The Alva City Council voted to approve a five‑year lease‑purchase for a 2017 Pelican dual street sweeper with annual payments of $40,367.72, totaling $175,000, and authorized the mayor or city business manager to sign required paperwork.

The action came alongside separate approvals by the Alva Utility Authority to amend its fiscal‑year budget to account for a lease payment and to approve a three‑year lease‑purchase of a HERCO Technologies VAC‑600 vacuum unit with annual payments of $35,720.57 (total $98,190.87). Two other equipment lease resolutions on the agenda received no motions and therefore died.

Why it matters: The approvals add planned equipment to city and utility fleets and adjust the utility authority’s budget to cover lease costs. Officials discussed lender and term options for the street sweeper, and the utility authority recorded a small budget amendment tied to the hydro/vac lease.

Council vote on Pelican street sweeper Councilmember Bellman moved to approve the lease‑purchase of the 2017 Pelican dual street sweeper on an annual payment of $40,367.72 for five years at a total price of $175,000 and to authorize the mayor or city business manager to sign all necessary paperwork. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Hoffman. The motion referenced financing through Alva State Bank at an interest rate of 4.95 percent.

The council voted by voice; members recorded as voting “yes” during the roll call were Councilmember Bowman, Councilmember Hoffman, Councilmember Parsons, Councilmember Adair, a member identified as Mark, and Councilmember Harris. The motion carried.

Utility authority budget amendment and VAC‑600 lease At the special meeting of the Alva Utility Authority, members approved Resolution 2025‑003, amending the FY 2025–26 utility budget to add $637.70 to cover a lease payment linked to the hydro unit. Councilmember Bellman moved the resolution and Councilmember Parsons seconded it. The roll call recorded unanimous affirmative votes for members present.

The utility authority then approved a separate lease‑purchase for a 2025 HERCO Technologies VAC‑600 (annual payment $35,720.57; three years; total $98,190.87). Councilmember Parsons moved the lease and Dr. Barr (recorded as second) seconded. The roll call recorded “yes” votes from Parsons, Larson, Harris, Adair, Hoffman and Feldman.

Items that failed to advance Two agenda items died for lack of a motion. On the city council agenda, Resolution 25‑01 (a seven‑year lease option for the Pelican unit with an annual payment shown as $31,004.78 and a total of $175,000) received no motion and therefore did not proceed. On the utility authority agenda a second lease item for a VAC unit likewise received no motion and died.

Details and clarifications - Street sweeper: five‑year lease, annual payment $40,367.72, total $175,000, interest referenced as 4.95 percent; financing identified in discussion as through a local bank referenced in the transcript variably as “Alba/Allen/Allstate”; corrected here to Alva State Bank (local institution name used in meeting materials). The agenda materials showed a lender option with a seven‑year term at a lower annual payment but higher total interest; council approved the five‑year option. - Utility budget amendment: $637.70 added to the utility authority budget to cover the hydro unit lease payment; the amendment was described as covering that lease among other lease payments in the same line item. - VAC‑600: three‑year lease, annual payment $35,720.57, total $98,190.87. A participant in the meeting described the VAC‑600 as able to “dig a hole without a shovel” and to replace spoils into the hole, language taken from the meeting transcript and left unattributed.

What the meeting did not resolve - The seven‑year lease option for the street sweeper was not voted on because there was no motion. The meeting record does not specify which councilmembers advocated for either financing option in a recorded vote or formal amendment.

Next steps The council and utility authority authorized their respective signatories to complete lease paperwork for the approved items. Items that died for lack of motion were closed without action; the meeting adjourned thereafter.