Council approves $1.21M pumper rescue and $505K sewer‑jet; authorizes limited catering contract with council member's business

Carbondale’s City Council approved several capital purchases and a limited catering authorization at its May 14 meeting.

Fire apparatus: The council adopted a resolution to purchase a Pierce pumper‑rescue via McQueen Equipment LLC at a price presented in the staff briefing as $1,210,000. Fire Chief Rob Miller said Pierce provides proprietary components (including a rolling‑pump "Puck" system and a foam system) that match existing fleet equipment and support maintenance uniformity. Council members said fleet uniformity and local servicing argued for the purchase and voted to take an exception to formal bidding under the city code; the motion passed on roll call.

Sewer equipment: After a city Vactor sewer‑jet was totaled in an accident, staff requested immediate replacement to avoid service interruption; the council approved purchasing a 2024 Vactor 2,100 demo unit from Co Equipment Inc. (Rochester, Ill.) for $505,489.29. Staff said insurance is expected to reimburse approximately $301,222, leaving an estimated net city cost of about $204,267.29; council voted to forego bidding because the demonstration unit could be delivered immediately and ongoing sewer backups pose public‑health risks.

Catering services: The council approved a non‑exclusive resolution that permits the interim city manager to contract with Lakeiji (Lehi) Hill d/b/a Lehi Hill Catering for city events in an annual amount not to exceed $4,000. Councilmembers discussed the required public notice and recurring process for such authorizations and noted the annual dollar cap and public resolution seek to preserve transparency under state law when an official’s business is selected.

All three measures passed on roll call at the meeting.