COBDEN — Whitewater Region’s public works department is expecting a delivery of a 2017 Freightliner tandem truck this Friday.
During last night’s public works committee meeting, followed by a special council meeting, council agreed to award the request for proposal to Freightliner North Bay for the newest truck to add to the township’s feet.
The award is for $252,95276, which includes the HST.
Public works manager Bill Misener noted the tender for the truck was issued in late summer and flaws were noticed. The tender was then changed to a Request For Proposal (RFP), which was to replace the 1994 International tandem truck, he said.
There were five replies to the RFP. To make it fair, Mr. Misener and township mechanic Terry O’Malley came up with six things to score the truck on, he said.
“Out of the six things, this truck at the highest score,” he said.
In the budget, $125,000 is in reserves for the truck this year with the balance to be paid out of next year’s budget, Mr. Misener said.
He told council the truck could be delivered by Friday.
Councillor Chris Olmstead questioned the state of the other trucks in the township’s fleet.
Mr. Misener noted there is one more truck that is getting aged and may not make it to the two-year mark, which he’s hoping will happen. Once this truck is replaced, the public works department will be purchasing a new truck every two years. This would mean the oldest truck in the fleet would be 14 years old.
