Council seeks to replace stolen truck at auction

ECA Review/Submitted
Written by Stu Salkeld

The Village of Clive is looking at vehicles such as this 2015 F-550 to replace a vehicle the municipality lost to theft. ECA Review/Submitted

 

Clive village council decided they may replace a stolen municipal vehicle by bidding at an auction. The decision was made at the Oct. 23 regular meeting of council.

Village Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Carla Kenney presented an update on the municipal truck reported stolen months ago and which the village has been working with their insurance company to replace.

“The village’s one-ton truck was stolen in June, 2023,” stated Kenney’s memo to council, reminding them the stolen truck was a 2015 Chev 3500.

“Administration has recently settled the insurance claim at $48,000 less the $1,000 deductible (resulting in) $47,000 to be used for the purchase of a replacement vehicle.

“Public Works recommends replacing with a similar heavier-duty truck equipped for multi-purpose for road repairs/sanding streets, hauling steamer, and snow removal. From what we can currently find on the market it looks like the village will have to fund additional costs out of the capital equipment reserve. This will impact the equipment modernization plan by either delaying replacement or requiring increased contributions.”

Kenney’s report listed the following duties a new truck will have to tackle: multi-functional equipment, snow removal/sanding streets, landscape box with drop-down sides allowing for flat deck usage, lift box, automatic transmission with four-wheel drive and amber lights for safety.

Staff began investigating possible vehicles currently available and provided councillors with the following options: a 2015 Ford F-550 with 43,000 kms on its odometer and equipped with a landscape box and snow blade currently available at an auction in Edmonton, a 2015 Ford F-550 with 137,000 kms which needs a dump box and available for sale in Leduc for $32,900, a 2016 Ford F-550 with 45,000 kms on it and equipped with a landscape box which was available for sale in Edmonton for $69,900, a 2013 F-550 with 96,000 kms on it which needs a dump box which was available in Red Deer for $38,900 and a 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 two-wheel drive available for $67,900 near Clive.

It was noted at the meeting a two-wheel drive truck would likely not be able to meet the vehicle requirements.

As she discussed truck options Kenney stated a Fort Garry estimate for a dump box that meets Clive’s needs would be $28,000, plus $1,000 to add the amber lights. The CAO noted that after discussing the issue with the Public Works department, staff felt bidding on the 2015 F-550 at the Edmonton auction was the best way to go.

“If the village is not successful, we would like to look at the option to buy a truck and chassis and put the proper dump box on it,” stated the CAO’s report.

Overall Kenney predicted, in the event the auction is unsuccessful, if the village has to buy a truck the final price tag would likely be in the $70,000 range.

It was further noted the Village of Clive has money placed in reserve for equipment purchases such as this. However, Kenney noted the ongoing inflation problem could affect this purchase.

Councillors passed a resolution to allow staff to bid on a truck at an Edmonton auction, and if unsuccessful to investigate the purchase of a new truck that can be tailored to the village’s needs later.

Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review

About the author

Stu Salkeld

Stu Salkeld, who has upwards of 28 years of experience in the Alberta community newspaper industry, is now covering councils and other news in the Stettler region and has experience working in the area as well.

He has joined the ECA Review as a Local Journalism Initiative Journalist.

Stu earned his two-year diploma in print journalism from SAIT in Calgary from 1993 to ’95 and was raised in Oyen, Alta., one of the communities within the ECA Review’s coverage area.