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Committee forwards bid to buy three ARBOC low‑floor buses for JET
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Summary
The City of Jonesboro Finance Administration Committee voted to forward Resolution 26,009 to full City Council to accept a cooperative contract quote for three ARBOC low‑floor buses for JET at $211,074 each (total $633,222); staff said two will replace aging vehicles and one will raise the fleet reserve to meet FTA requirements.
The City of Jonesboro Finance Administration Committee on Jan. 21 voted to forward to full City Council a resolution to accept a quote and use a State of Oklahoma cooperative contract to buy three ARBOC low‑floor cutaway buses for Jonesboro Economic Transit (JET).
Committee Chair (Speaker 1) read Resolution 26,009, which lists a unit price of $211,074 and a total purchase price of $633,222. The resolution cites an available State of Oklahoma contract (as read in the transcript) and states that sufficient budget or grant funds have been identified to cover the purchase.
Grants/Transit staff (Speaker 7) described the vehicles as low‑floor buses with a single front entrance that serves both ambulatory and ADA riders and said they differ from the vans the committee has seen previously. "They're not vans. They are actually buses," Transit staff said, noting the configuration places securement locations near the driver so operators can assist riders without exiting the vehicle into traffic. Staff said the purchase will allow drivers to load and secure passengers more efficiently.
During questions from Committee Member (Speaker 6), transit staff said the planned acquisition will likely replace two older vehicles and add one vehicle to increase the fleet spare ratio to the Federal Transit Administration's required 20 percent for the system's number of routes. Staff explained that vehicles beyond their useful life generally go to auction and that, if resale proceeds exceed certain thresholds, an FTA portion may need to be repaid.
The committee discussed funding source eligibility. Transit staff said capital purchases are typically funded on an 80/20 split, but "there are some ADA grant capabilities that may allow us to get just a little bit more," and staff committed to double‑checking whether the purchase qualifies for additional ADA funding.
Speaker 2 moved to forward Resolution 26,009 with the corrected title; Speaker 5 seconded. Chair (Speaker 1) called for members to cast their votes; the transcript records the motion and the request to vote but does not include roll‑call tallies.
What happens next
The resolution will go to full City Council for a final vote. Staff said they will confirm whether the purchase can be charged to any additional ADA funding streams and will provide financing details if requested by Council.
Provenance
Topic intro: SEG 016; Topic finish: SEG 165
Speakers quoted or referenced: Committee Chair (Speaker 1); Committee Member (Speaker 2); Committee Member (Speaker 5); Committee Member (Speaker 6); Transit staff (Speaker 7).
Authorities and procurement references
The committee referenced a State of Oklahoma cooperative contract number as read in the transcript (SW0797CFY2026) and noted compliance with applicable purchasing laws. The transcript also refers to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) spare‑ratio requirements and grant rules.
Clarifying details
- Unit price as read: $211,074; total: $633,222 (per text read into the record). - Staff said two vehicles will be replacements and one will be additional to reach the FTA 20% reserve requirement. - Staff said the two candidate trade vehicles have "upwards of 300,000 miles." - Transit staff to confirm ADA grant eligibility and any capital funding mix (typical capital split mentioned as 80/20 in the transcript).
Issues/limitations
The committee forwarded the resolution; the transcript does not record the final roll‑call vote or Council action. The procurement contract number and some vendor/product spellings in the transcript are inconsistent; this article uses the vendor name as stated in the record (ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC) and standardizes product references for clarity.
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