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Utility board approves fleet, water and wastewater equipment purchases and repairs
Summary
The Albany Utility Board authorized three pump repairs/replacements and two fleet purchases totaling roughly $289,000, approving contracts with local and cooperative vendors and delegating staff to finalize procurement. Votes were recorded by roll call.
The Albany Utility Board on Oct. 9 approved a series of equipment purchases and repairs for fleet, water and wastewater operations, voting to authorize contracts that staff said would maintain critical services and limit long outages.
Board members approved a purchase of diesel dispensers for fleet operations from Barber Equipment of Albany for $86,012.72, replacing several units the staff said were 20–25 years old and increasingly difficult to repair. "They can't get parts for these things anymore," said Bernard, a fleet operations presenter, and staff noted the units come with a one‑year warranty.
The board also authorized a $44,710 purchase of a Benshaw series soft starter for the No. 3 blower at the wastewater plant, citing an ESG maintenance recommendation and a three‑year warranty; and awarded a $46,930 contract to Donald Smith Company to replace the pump at Well 13 after diagnostics showed the unit was not repairable. For wastewater operations, the board approved a $58,683.92 repair by Waco Electric Supply for a large pump, with staff noting replacement would run roughly $200,000 and repair should extend service 4–5 years.
Separately, fleet purchased a 6‑inch trailer‑mounted Godwin pump from Xylem Dewatering Solutions for $53,276.81 under a Florida Sheriffs Association cooperative contract; staff said the cooperative purchase expedited procurement and reduced cost and that the city keeps a fleet of these pumps for flood and overflow response.
All motions were moved, seconded and approved by roll call. Several board members asked about warranty terms, selection process and whether emergency circumstances justified direct awards without competitive bidding; staff said consultant or service history informed vendor choice in several cases. Funding sources for these purchases were presented as operating or capital line items already in the utility budgets.
The board’s action keeps several aging systems in service while staff plans longer‑term replacements and a program to standardize fleet parts and spares.
