Staff urges ordering two replacement plow trucks now; cost over $300,000 each, 1.5–2 year lead times

Public works staff presented a request to replace two aging single‑axle plow/sand trucks, both 2006 models with worn hydraulic systems and operational limits. Staff argued the trucks are 20 years old and despite functioning, they are slow and increasingly difficult to operate; hydraulic systems are failing and the trucks can no longer reliably run both sander and plow functions simultaneously.

“They are, you know, over $300,000 apiece even for a relatively simple truck and they are 1.5 to 2 year lead times,” the presenter (S7) said, urging that ordering sooner would reduce additional lead‑time risk. Staff described the operational benefit of adding wings to plow trucks to move snow farther in one pass and reduce later cleanup, and recommended prioritizing these trucks or ordering them in 2027 to avoid further delays.

Why it matters: the council must weigh a sizable capital outlay against operational risk—the longer the replacement is deferred, the greater the chance of in‑season failures and higher costs due to longer lead times. Staff noted auctioning the old trucks could recoup roughly $20,000 each.