News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville Public Works Department making moves to get an additional sideload sanitation truck.
Director Blake Mayo said the department tries to keep trucks in their fleet between five to seven years old. He said they have been searching for quotes to buy a truck for this upcoming budget and found a truck that would have a build date for this fall.
“The next build date was going to be maybe for spring 2024 and that was only a maybe,” Mayo said. “They couldn’t even really give a definitive answer on when we could take delivery for one of those kinds of trucks. So getting on this when it’s available is quite important.”
Additionally, Mayo said it is important to purchase the truck as soon as possible because they do not know what the costs can do in the next year. He said the estimate for this truck is more than $150,000 more compared to the same truck a year ago.
The cost of the truck and its equipment sits more than $428,000. Mayo said in the face of rising costs, the department is doing everything it can to maintain quality services.
“We’re just going to have to take a look moving forward,” Mayo said. “And make sure we have the resources to keep us going and moving forward efficiently.”
