Harbor district approves lease for two 2026 Ford F‑150 fleet trucks after electric options rejected

HUMBOLDT BAY — The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District board authorized a lease‑purchase agreement to acquire two 2026 Ford F‑150 pickup trucks for district operations, approving the measure by a 4–1 vote.

Staff said the district’s fleet is aging and has reliability and safety concerns; the proposed trucks are conventional EcoBoost F‑150 models selected for towing and payload capacity. Staff told the board they reviewed alternatives, including the Ford Lightning and Ford Maverick; the Lightning was deemed cost‑prohibitive and production has been curtailed, while the Maverick lacks sufficient size for district operations.

Public comment: Carla Osborne told the board she was “really sad to hear that you decided against electric vehicles” and urged the district to consider electric trucks (including used models) and on‑site charging to align with the district’s green terminal goals.

Board action: A motion to authorize the municipal finance equipment lease‑purchase with Ford Motor Credit for two 2026 Ford F‑150 fleet trucks was made, seconded and carried (motion passed with four votes in favor and one opposed). The transcript records the final tally as 4 in favor, 1 opposed; individual commissioner votes for this specific motion were not provided in the roll‑call style during the transcript.

Context: Staff noted the district’s oldest vehicles date back to 2010 and that vehicle maintenance costs have grown; staff said two vehicles will be declared surplus and likely sold for parts. The district also plans to add towing hitch packages and required lighting to the new pickups and will review personnel policy and GPS tracking as implementation details.

Next steps: Staff will execute the lease purchase, declare surplus for the two replaced vehicles, and return any required procurement paperwork and personnel policy updates to the board for future items.