WELLINGTON NORTH – The township’s building and operations departments are getting a few shiny, new trucks.
The building department’s new Ram 1500 will be used by a building inspector to visit construction sites and for bylaw enforcement, replacing a 2005 Ford pickup from the roads fleet, occasionally used as a backup.
Safety and growth are listed as notable justifications for the purchase of the truck.
A township-branded vehicle “protects the safety of the staff member outside of working hours from confrontations where a personal vehicle is recognized,” states a report to council from chief building officer Darren Jones seeking approval for the truck’s purchase.
Jones also states a township vehicle will pay for itself within six to seven years and that the asset is required to accommodate a new deputy chief building official.
The new truck was a planned purchase in the 2022 capital budget, however, a bid for the truck tender from Arthur Chrysler Dodge Jeep came in at $51,638 – $6,638 over the tax-in total of $45,000 budgeted.
Two other bids were received from Leslie Motors and Larry Hudson Chevrolet Buick GMC, both under budget, but delivery dates were either unknown or not guaranteed.
Jones states in his report: “We believe by going with the [costlier] bid, we will make up the approximately $5,000 difference in mileage payable to department staff for the use of their personal vehicles over waiting an additional seven months, minimum.”
Arthur Chrysler Dodge Jeep had the truck sitting on the lot, and so despite being over budget, council approved the more expensive truck.
The truck is being purchased using revenue from building permits (including the overage not budgeted for) and $2,250 in development charges collected for bylaw enforcement, Jones stated in an email to the Community News.
Operations will be receiving two new trucks, one for environmental services and one for transportation.
A 2021 Dodge pickup truck will be a new addition to the waterworks fleet and another pickup will replace a 1995 Ford with 97,000 km on it as of last fall.
Like the purchase of the building truck, the environmental services truck bid of $51,638 is also over the $45,000 budgeted.
Township operations director Matt Aston asked council for an additional $7,000 to cover the increased cost and the installation of an orange utility light.
He, too, cited the cost of reimbursing employees for the use of personal vehicles in justifying the purchase.
Council approved the purchase of the over-budget operations truck from Arthur Chrysler Dodge Jeep because, again, the dealership was able to provide delivery within a guaranteed time frame, whereas timelines were unknown at best with the other bids.
The remaining transportation services truck was purchased for $62,939 within a previously-approved $85,000 budget that also factors in the cost of snow plough equipment.
Aston said he’s confident staff will be able to work within the remaining $22,061 for the purchase of snow removal equipment, staying within the overall budget allocated.
Delivery in one year
That truck’s delivery is estimated to be between eight months to one year from now.
In all, councillors approved a total of $166,215 for the purchase of trucks from Arthur Chrysler.
