Committee recommends purchase of new carts for decades-old Cushman fleet

FACILITIES COMMITTEE

Reserve Study calls for 10 additional replacements in 2025

by Ruth Osborn

Communications Director

The GRF Facilities Committee met Oct. 1 to consider a full agenda that included reserve fund spending for Service Maintenance utility carts and remodeling bathrooms, among other projects.

Meeting highlights included the following. The full meeting can be livestreamed at www. lwsb.com.

The committee will recommend that the GRF Board approve the purchase of 10 Big Foot utility vehicles with utility boxes and ladder racks for $345,438.96 from reserve funding. That means that the purchase was planned and funded, and will not affect assessment amounts. The current Cushman fleet, which is primarily used by the Service Maintenance Department, has been in service for 24-42 years. Cart parts are hard to find and costly.

Repair costs and extended out-of-service periods have significantly challenged staff response times.

The fleet reserve study proposed replacing 10 of these vehicles per year over a span of three or more years beginning in 2024. The 2024 purchase of 10 carts is due for delivery sometime this month.

These specialty carts must be able to travel on sidewalks, have a 2,000-weight capacity and the ability to carry utility boxes and ladder racks.

Bids came in at a high of $363,240.60 to the lowest from Pape Material Handling, which can supply 10 Taylor-Dunn Big Foots for $345,438.96 The Reserve Study calls for 10 more units to be replaced in 2025 and another 10 in 2026. Pape Material Handling provided the same cost for 10 additional units for 2025.

The next committee meeting will be held Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. in Conference Room A in the Administration Building.

The Service Maintenance Department utilizes Cushman vehicles like the one pictured above for service calls. The vehicles in the fleet have been in use for 24-42 years.

Paul Kryczko