Nutter Fort council approves purchase of F-350, pays off 2015 ambulance

The Nutter Fort Town Council approved the purchase of a 2024 Ford Super Duty F-350 for the Public Works department and agreed to pay off the remaining balance on the town's 2015 EMS ambulance during its Aug. 13 meeting.

Councilor Charlene Louk moved to buy the F-350 through T&S Ford using Sales & Use tax funding; Councilor Karen Phillips seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. Louk also moved to pay off the 2015 ambulance using Sales & Use tax funds; Phillips seconded and the motion likewise passed unanimously.

Council and staff described a forthcoming vehicle-replacement plan: Public Works currently operates two tool trucks, two dump trucks with plow capability, one summer truck and two plow trucks; two units are due for replacement in the next one to two years and two more are not scheduled until 2029. The reassignment of an existing Public Works truck to Nutter Fort EMS created the immediate need for the F-350 replacement.

The council also approved purchase of equipment quotes to outfit the new EMS truck: emergency lighting ($9,680.99), striping ($2,935.00) and a custom-welded medical equipment box ($1,342.66) for a combined $13,958.65; Councilor Charlene Louk moved to authorize the purchases incrementally at the Treasurer’s discretion, and the motion carried unanimously. Public Works will outfit the new F-350 with a snowplow ($3,553.00 assembly/harness), a used radio ($1,400.00) and striping ($950.00); those costs total $5,903.00, and the FY 2024–25 budget already includes a snowplow and equipment item that exceeds that estimate.

The purchases will be funded from Sales & Use tax revenues, as stated during the meeting. No vote tallies by named councilor were recorded beyond the meeting's unanimous outcomes. The council did not attach additional conditions or amendments to these approvals at the Aug. 13 meeting.