Council hears pleas to address aging fleet; staff to produce inventory and replacement plan

Staff reviewed debt‑service timing and said many loan structures pay interest in May and principal in November; the budget proposes one new debt purchase for the year — a dump truck for Public Works — to begin addressing an aging fleet.

Councilors and Public Works staff discussed maintenance costs on older vehicles and the difficulty of sourcing parts. Members requested a replacement plan and a spreadsheet showing current fleet inventory, estimated remaining life, average annual maintenance spend per vehicle, and projected savings from replacing vehicles with newer units (including warranty effects and preventive maintenance assumptions). Staff also discussed options to search for lightly used trucks outside local markets and to pursue a replacement strategy that better matches the town's operational needs.

A councilor asked whether the fire department had requested a truck; staff said the fire chief was not present and that staff would verify whether a request remains outstanding.

Next steps: staff will prepare a fleet inventory and lifecycle analysis along with example quotes for replacement vehicles and present that information to councilors at a future meeting.