The Hastings City Council on Sept. 12 authorized the purchase of four new trucks for the Department of Public Services through MiDeal for a total of $156,607.85. The cost is under the amount budgeted for in the capital budget, DPS Director Lee Hays said.
Under the new policy, the city buys the smaller trucks annually and sells them after a year’s use for about the same amount they paid for them. The new trucks are covered under warranty, so the city has a new fleet of trucks and no maintenance costs, Hays said.
Councilwoman Brenda McNabb-Stange voted to approve the purchase, but objected to setting the auction reserve price at $1,000 less than the purchase price, saying someone will get a good deal at the taxpayer’s expense. City Manager Jeff Mansfield said the reserve is just the starting point and they expect the bidding to be higher than the reserve. Hays said the city came out $1,500 ahead last year; he will get the figures from this year’s transactions for McNabb-Stange.
Also at the Monday meeting, the council:
* approved Kisscross Events holding the second annual Founder’s Fall Fondo bicycling event starting and ending in Hastings on Oct. 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mansfield called it a great fall event expected to bring 500 cyclists into town. Rick Plite and Scott TenCate from Kisscross requested permission for the event.
* approved holding Girls Night Out on the evening of Oct. 6.
* amended the language in the park code to eliminate specific references to “religious” or “political” meetings.
* approved Dale Krueger III serving the remainder of Jerry Horton’s term on the Local Development Finance Authority/Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.
* heard Hays say the Clinton Street project will be completed in the beginning of October and East State Road open to traffic by the end of September.
* approved traffic control orders 217 and 218 mandating the changes in bus parking at the Hastings Middle School. Working with school officials, Police Chief Jeff Pratt developed bus parking along sections of Park and Broadway streets only to accommodate construction at the Middle and Central Elementary schools for the next year or so.
And, the council has been invited to Middleville for Mayor Exchange Day on Friday, Oct. 7. beginning at 8:30 a.m.
