Council reviews quotes for golf carts and copier contract; staff leans toward refurbished carts and Sharp corporate printing lease

The Chief City Administrator briefed council on two procurement items: golf carts for events and public works, and the city's upcoming copier contract. For golf carts the administrator said refurbished electric models typically cost about $6,200 while new 2024 models run roughly $9,000–$11,000; utility-style carts with a dump bed were estimated at $7,000–$9,000. Staff outlined tradeoffs among lithium batteries, 48-volt battery systems and gas models, noting electric carts are preferable for light, intermittent city use and have lower operating costs.

Council members asked whether refurbished units include warranties or service agreements; staff said refurbished carts come with new components and standard warranties but routine service agreements are typically not included in the base price. A council member suggested using a six-seater with a trailer as a lower-cost alternative for event waste pickup instead of a dump-bed cart; staff said they would get additional quotes reflecting council preferences.

On copier services, staff compared quotes from Alpha Copy Solutions (the vendor used previously), Sharp corporate, Reach Technologies and Ricoh. The administrator recommended the Sharp corporate lease because it offers per-print billing without a base fee and faster technician response (four-hour response target), potentially reducing overlapping payments the city currently incurs on multiple machines. Staff said current arrangements include overlapping payments and that they would return with a recommended contract and cost breakdown for council review.