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Council approves McQueen purchase agreement to lock price for new fire apparatus
Summary
The council approved a purchase agreement with McQueen to begin building a new fire apparatus now, citing lead times of up to three years and a present-day price of just over $1 million; staff noted a current cost-savings figure of $42,000 in the supporting memo.
The Westfield City Council voted to approve a purchase agreement with McQueen, the manufacturer used for the city’s fire apparatus, and acknowledged a special-purchase memo explaining why the council need not rebid the contract.
A city fire official told the council that lead times for a new fire apparatus are "upwards of three years" and that approving the purchase agreement now begins the build process and secures current pricing. The official said the apparatus price is "just a little over a million dollars," and that the memo lists an immediate cost savings of $42,000 compared with an alternative procurement timing.
Staff explained the agreement is to "get in the build" and to lock the price for the city; members noted the purchase agreement and the memo serve different roles, with the memo documenting the legal basis for not going out to bid. Council members said the local availability of service and repair within about 25 miles and the vendor’s membership in a consortium that yields discounts supported the waiver of typical bidding procedures.
After brief discussion about budgeting and the expected 30-month timeline to complete construction, a council member moved, another seconded, and the council approved the purchase agreement.
The council did not provide a detailed payment schedule in the meeting; staff said the agreement locks the price and that longer-term budget planning will account for scheduled payments as the build proceeds.
