MOUNT OLIVE (10/18/07) – When the Township Council meets Tuesday an agenda item will be the purchase of three new trucks for the departments of public works and building and grounds. Mayor David Scapicchio and Township Administrator Bill Sohl examined the trucks and have given the proposed purchase their stamp of approval.

Yesterday Council Vice President Steve Rattner met with DPW Director Tim Quinn to examine the trucks that he has proposed replacing and will make his report to the Council on Tuesday.

At last Tuesday’s meeting Quinn outlined the need to replace two 1996 dump trucks and a 1997 pick up truck. He said all were in need of extensive repair and concluded it would be better to replace them, especially with the winter coming on…these trucks are used by the departments for various activities but particularly for plowing snow.

Council President Robb Greenbaum showed some irritation that the request was coming this late in the year. He said such requests should come at the beginning of a year, especially when budgets are so tight.

Quinn explained he was well aware of the tight fiscal restraints on purchasing expensive equipment and in this instance, as in all, he felt last year that the township might get another year out of them. “I try to get as much use out of every truck I possibly can,” he said. “But during the summer it became apparent that these three trucks were not up for another year. If one breaks down when it’s snowing we’d have a serious problem,” he said.

Greenbaum estimated that if the township replaces the three trucks with comparable new ones the cost will be about $125,000 which will be bonded. 

All the town departments are preparing their 2008 budgets now, which is the beginning of the budget process. Then each department reviews their own budgets shaving where they can by November, then the Administration prepares the budget to be reviewed by the Council. The process takes until about May.

If the Council approves the purchase bid proposals and a bonding ordinance will be prepared. It’s about a 20 day process….in time if there’s a snowfall.