The Denton Public Utility Board on Jan. 27 recommended that the City Council authorize the city manager to execute a cooperative-purchasing contract with Bond Equipment Company Inc. not to exceed $18,690,000 for refuse trucks, related equipment and repair services over a one-year base term with four optional one-year extensions.

Board members moved the recommendation after Facilities and Fleet Services Director Tom Braimer described the contract as a capacity agreement to allow the city to acquire refuse trucks and heavy utility vehicles and to obtain specialized repair services and diagnostics that the city cannot provide in-house.

Braimer told the board that assets purchased under the contract would be used across several city departments and that the contract value was determined by an analysis of historical spending and projected needs, and would be processed through the city’s operating and capital budgets. He said the agreement is intended to provide flexibility to buy vehicles that are on dealer lots or have shorter lead times, rather than relying on single-manufacturer orders that previously resulted in 18-to-24-month waits.

Board members asked for details about how the purchases would be funded and who would use the equipment. Braimer said departments that purchase vehicles either cash-fund them from operating funds or fund them through bonds issued by the purchasing department; Fleet Services manages acquisitions but individual departments pay for the vehicles they buy. He said roughly 70% of this contract’s use is expected to support the utilities and that refuse equipment represents about 30% of the fleet services portfolio by spend. When asked about a note in the presentation about adding four units in “FY 2829,” Braimer said the additions were tied to overall growth and not specifically to completion of a new service center.

The board voted to recommend adoption of the ordinance; the motion to recommend approval was moved by board member Ryback and seconded by board member Taylor and passed unanimously. The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action.

Votes at a glance: motion to recommend approval — mover: Ryback; second: Taylor; outcome: approved (unanimous).