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Chadron council approves payment schedule for new ladder truck, authorizes ambulance payment
Summary
The council approved immediate payment steps to capture a vendor discount on a new ladder truck and authorized the ambulance payment; finance staff outlined grant reimbursement timing and the city’s expected net cost.
Chadron’s City Council moved to approve payments related to major public-safety equipment after hearing a finance report outlining available cash, grant reimbursements and fund balances.
Finance Officer Michelle Stokes told the council the invoice amount for the ladder truck was reported as $1,700,000, with a discount available if the city paid up front. "The discounted price is, dollars 1,600,000," Stokes said. She said the city’s HUD grant would cover $1,400,000, leaving an estimated city share near $219,000, and that HUD reimbursement for the grant is likely to take "probably a month, maybe 6 weeks to 2 months." The council discussed which city funds would cover the interim cash outlay if needed.
Stokes also reported the ambulance payment listed in the claims as $340,930.55 and said the ambulance fund currently holds sufficient reserves to cover that payment while maintaining a balance. "The ambulance fund has $508,000 in it," Stokes said when summarizing fund balances.
Council members voted to approve the claims and payments. The meeting record shows the roll-call in support of the payment motions.
Why it matters: Capturing the vendor discount reduces the city’s long-term cost for a specialty piece of equipment but requires the city to advance funds and wait for grant reimbursement. Council members emphasized fiscal stewardship when approving the payment plan.
What’s next: Staff will process the payment and submit the grant reimbursement paperwork; the ladder truck is expected to be delivered in roughly two years, and the city will later address facility modifications required to house it.
