In a move that not only provides revenue but also clears space in the River Forest Public Works Department garage, the village board Oct. 28 authorized selling eight vehicles at auction as surplus property.
The authorization was approved by a unanimous vote of the five trustees present as part of the consent agenda without discussion. Trustee Bob O’Connell did not attend.
If all eight vehicles are sold for the posted minimum price, $49,000 will go into the village coffers.
Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, said the village has sold surplus vehicles individually or as a group in the past.
The vehicles include a street sweeper and six trucks as well as a one-time ambulance that was converted to general use for public works.
Bielak said several of the vehicles, such as the street sweeper, are being replaced by newer models that are finally being delivered after delays in production. He said the others have outlived their usefulness.
“We are selling a couple vehicles such as the ambulance that were given to public works from other departments,” he said. “We have used them as best we can, but they are starting to need significant/costly maintenance that does not make sense to do.”
The minimum purchase prices range from $2,500 for the 1998 Ford E Super Duty ambulance and a 2012 Ford F-350 pickup truck to $15,000 for the 2016 Elgin Pelican street sweeper. The oldest vehicle is the ambulance and the newest is the street sweeper.
Other vehicles and their minimum purchase prices are a 1998 International tandem axel truck, $7,000; a 2012 International tandem axel truck, $11,000; a 2011 Ford F-550 dump truck, $5,000; a 2006 Dodge Sprinter cargo van, $3,000; and a 2007 Ford Ranger, $3,000.
The two International trucks, the Ford F-550 dump truck and the Ford F-350 pickup truck have been used primarily for snow plowing and leaf pushing. The Dodge Sprinter was used primarily by the water department and the Ford Ranger by the streets department.
In a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator, Bielak and Brian Skoczek, public works superintendent of operations, proposed selling the surplus property using online auction services, such as Obenauf Online Auction Service. They said the village has used Obenauf previously and “experienced positive results.”
Bielak explained that the auction site the village uses is used by other government entities, which are typically also the ones purchasing items. He speculated that the larger plows and street sweeper would potentially be purchased by a smaller municipality. The minimum prices were taken from similar items sold in the past and adjusted for items seen on today’s market, he added.