Council adds emergency ordinances for service truck purchase and fire‑truck remounting down payment

The Norton City Council moved to add several emergency ordinances to the Dec. 16 agenda related to vehicle procurements and remounting services.

Ordinance 135‑2024 (first reading) would authorize the purchase of a Freightliner M2106 Plus for the service department from Great Lakes Truck Center at a cost not to exceed $108,530 and was offered by council for first reading. Staff described a letter of intent that secured a 2024 M2 Freightliner chassis that was on the dealer lot, which allowed the city to obtain the state purchasing price plus a dealer discount. City staff said the truck is the same truck the department planned to buy next year and that securing it now produces some savings and accelerates the schedule. Staff also said an eventual trade‑in on the replaced vehicle is expected, but the trade‑in value will be determined when the truck is ready.

Ordinance 136‑2024 (first reading) would authorize a down payment for remounting services for the fire department from Lifeline at a cost not to exceed $50,535; council discussed that the listed down payment is 25% and asked about total contract timing. A council member observed paperwork indicating the total could be approximately $151,000 and asked when the chassis/purchase balance would be due; staff said chassis delivery timing could be delayed depending on backlogs and that payment/assembly could extend into early 2026 or as late as Q1 2027 depending on vendor backlogs.

Both ordinances were added to the night’s agenda by motion and roll‑call vote for first reading. These additions were procedural actions to allow first readings and future votes; no final appropriation beyond the listed 'not to exceed' amounts was made at this meeting.

Councilmembers said the remounting and truck purchases are routine capital actions intended to maintain city services and that choosing currently available equipment yielded short‑term savings for the city.