Cookeville Council To Consider Vehicle Purchases Thursday

Cookeville City Council will consider purchasing a new truck for glass recyclables during Thursday’s meeting.

Public Works Director Greg Brown said the engine blew on the current 2003 model vehicle.

“This is not a budgeted item,” Brown said. “But the front load truck that we bought came in about $31,000 under budget and our sanitation budget has a little over $13,000 surplus. So we should have enough money to purchase it, but I think it would be the wise thing to do instead of trying to repair that existing truck.”

The one-ton Chevrolet truck will cost the city $24,575.

Council will also consider a measure to purchase a new Digger Derrick truck for the Cookeville Electric Department. Director Carl Haney he originally planned to replace the vehicle during next year’s budget.

“But about two months ago it became inoperable because of it age, 25-years,” Haney said. “We cannot get the parts to fix that boom. The lead time on these are about 300 days, so with us approving it now it would be next budget before we got it in.”

According to bid documents, the vehicle will cost $253,899. The city will buy the truck from the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Contract.

City Council meets Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to consider the purchases.