The Forest Park Village Council voted to purchase a 2019 Ford F-450 for the Public Works Department at the Dec. 17 meeting.
The truck will replace one that was destroyed by fire in early 2018. In that incident, the truck caught fire while being used for snow removal in the 1500 block of Harlem Avenue. The truck, which had been delivered a month before, was destroyed but the driver was not injured.
The Village Council voted 4-0 to approve the $35,127.00 purchase from Currie Motors in Frankfort. Commissioner Rachell Entler did not attend the meeting.
Village Administrator Tim Gillian said the purchase will be covered by insurance. He also said the procurement process was extended because the truck had to be special-ordered and required additional equipment such as a snow plow attachment.
John Doss, director of public works, said the truck has been delivered but was not in service yet. He said the public works snow removal fleet includes three F-450 trucks, four larger dump trucks and two pickup trucks, all equipped with snowplows. The fleet also includes a Jeep with a snowplow for use in parking lots, he added.
Village officials noted administrative costs for purchasing the truck were reduced because the purchase was made through the Illinois joint purchasing program. The program permits municipalities to purchase competitively-priced equipment without processing individual bids.
