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HUBBARD – The city’s street department could receive an equipment upgrade in 2027, but there are details officials need to review.
At a meeting earlier this week, Councilman Mike Kerr, D-4th Ward, asked the law director to draw up the necessary legislation for an ordinance entering into a contract with the Village of Minster in Auglaize County for a used derrick truck.
A derrick truck is a utility vehicle that combines a hydraulic crane, a rotating extendable boom and a powerful earth-boring auger.
Service Director Ed Palestro said Thursday that their current truck, purchased in the 1990s, is old and maintenance and repair costs are increasing. The truck from Minster has more reach, lift capabilities and features, he added.
The truck will cost $185,000, according Kerr, who noted that the vehicle’s average cost is $425,000 brand-new.
City Auditor Michael Villano, in a safety committee meeting ahead of city council’s meeting, noted that the board of control could buy something statutorily if it was under a certain price threshold, but anything above that would have to go out for competitive bidding.
“Therein lies the problem, because this is a six-year-old truck that, I really don’t know what the state contract price would be on a six-year-old truck,” Villano said. “We don’t have a point of comparison, because the state statute says if you can buy something for less than state contract price, current price, you can buy it, council can just pass an ordinance.”
The auditor said he still thinks it’s a good purchase price on the truck for what it offers the city, but they lack a comparative, which is why he was stuck.
“State statute says it’s got to be at state contract or less. Well, state contract doesn’t quote six-year-old stuff,” Villano said.
He confirmed there is room in the city’s budget for the truck, adding that it’s “substantially” more affordable than buying a new one, echoing Kerr’s later comments about the cost of a new one.
Palestro expressed urgency, saying that the city may need to move on it because their current truck “is not in the greatest shape.”
“These guys are band-aiding it. Our mechanic is doing a heck of a job putting the band-aids on it,” Palestro said.
Mayor Ben Kyle suggested that officials get the process started, and perhaps they could table the legislation later on if the issues Villano mentioned arise.
“I completely understand Mr. Palestro’s urgency, with how old our truck is and how affordable this truck would be,” Kyle said. “To help our crew and be able to make an upgrade, and save the residents money.”
Villano said it wouldn’t hurt to get the legislation moving and see what officials learn later, as he didn’t know how the Village of Minster was planning to dispose of the vehicle.
“They have statutory requirements they have to go through, but I know there are some provisions in government-to-government purchasing,” he said. “It’s just the issue of determining the value, and I don’t know the answer to that.”