Monterey To Reopen Firetruck Bids After Criteria Was Not Met

Monterey wants to rebid a ladder truck purchase after just one bid was received.

Mayor Nathan Walker said the truck’s age, mileage and condition did not match the city’s criteria.

“Buying used equipment of course there is a lot of challenges,” Walker said. “You have to make sure everything is certified and maintenance is kept up to date. Obviously, we do not want to spend this amount of money to inherit somebody else’s problems.”

Walker said the city has been searching for a used ladder truck for a few years now but limited resources has been challenge. Walker said the need for the ladder truck has increased recently considering aging equipment.

“This is going to be a crucial piece of equipment for us moving forward. If we want to do it, now is the time to do it,” Walker said. “We do have a little bit extra resources available to us. There’s even hopefully some future grant opportunities that we can keep applying for to help out on the cost.”

Walker said the price was consistent with the city’s price target. Walker said the city would be comfortable spending $130,000 to $140,000.

Walker and Fire Chief Kevin Peters are still working with Perdue Farms on grant funding. The company extended its help after Monterey responded to a poultry plant fire in 2020.

“They’ve been wonderful through this whole process,” Walker said. “They gave us the avenue to some of the resources to the Perdue Foundation. When we submit those applications, they’re going to do everything they can to help us I’m sure.”