JOHNSTOWN – Fulton County supervisors will vote next month on whether to purchase new vehicles and equipment for the Sheriff’s and Highway Department.
The Buildings and Grounds Department on Monday unanimously approved spending nearly $250,000 for a new heavy dump truck with plow equipment. Superintendent of Highways and Facilities Mark Yost estimates the 2014 Western Star model 4900 truck will cost about $146,609, under terms of a bid secured by Oneida County. The dump body and plow equipment will cost about $77,646.
Stratford Supervisor Robert Johnson asked Yost whether the county considered requesting bids – as his town did, which resulted in a similar, though not identical truck and plow, for about $192,000.
Yost said the Western Star truck likely has more features that Stratford’s truck, including an automatic transmission, and a system that monitors surface and air temperatures and tracks salt use.
“I think we know what we’re going to get with a Western Star,” he said, noting the county’s satisfaction with a Western Star truck purchased three years ago. Two other dump trucks in the county’s inventory were produced by a company no longer in business, he said.
Dodge approvals
Also Monday, the Public Safety Committee on Monday unanimously approved spending $64,000 for two new patrol cars and accessories.
The Dodge Chargers, which will cost $21,880 each, will come from Main Motorcar in Johnstown, which has provided a low bid to Orleans County, which entitles other governing bodies to take advantage of the pricing.
Equipment, accessories and painting will take up the balance of the $64,000 appropriation. Sheriff Thomas Lorey said unlike a previous police vehicle, which was painted so lettering was visible only at night, the new vehicles will be the traditional white with red lettering.
“You will know this is a Sheriff’s Department vehicle,” he said.
Because the dump truck and police cars were included in the 2013 budget as capital expenses, they do not need to be approved by the Finance Committee. The full board may vote on the purchases at the Feb. 11 meeting.
The Public Safety Committee also approved about $8,000 in new spending for the Sheriff’s Department – purchases that need to be approved by the Finance Committee and the full Board of Supervisors.
The department plans to purchase six ballistic armor vests with $5,250 remaining from a 2011 state terrorism prevention grant and use $3,116.94 from the same grant in 2010 to pay for monthly wireless service fees.
Both Sheriff’s Department purchases would exhaust available funds in each grant.
