City to purchase new garbage truck

Elyria is tapping into Issue 6 funds to buy a new garbage truck.

During a City Council Finance Committee meeting Jan. 11, members approved spending up to $352,000 for a new truck.

In November, Elyria voters approved the 0.5% tax renewal and the funds for the truck will come out of the capital needs section of Issue 6 dollars.

Safety Service Director Kevin Brubaker said it will take 12 to 14 months to receive the new garbage truck.

In November, Council approved buying another new garbage truck using money from the sanitation fund.

“The bulk of our fleet is 2010, which means we’re going on to year 11 on those vehicles,” Brubaker said. “We have purchased some the past couple of years, but this allows us to start to regenerate the placement of our fleet.”

Finance Director Ted Pileski said the city borrowed money to pay for the truck in November as opposed to paying cash for the vehicle.

The sanitation fund now is strapped for cash, Pileski said.

“If we’re going to purchase from Issue 6, we should pay cash for it when the truck comes in,” he said.

Brubaker said truck repairs are getting expensive and replacing the fleet is necessary.

The city doesn’t want to have to face buying several new trucks at the same time in the near future, he said.

Law Director Amanda Deery said it’s legal to use Issue 6 funds to buy the truck, but whether it’s appropriate, is up to City Council.

During the meeting, Deery said she and Pileski are concerned about what Council will decide to do with the Sanitation Department.

Elyria is one of two Lorain County cities to offer its own sanitation service.

Despite some rate increases over the years, Elyria’s sanitation fund has significantly dwindled.

Council members have discussed ending sanitation services, but kept it to benefit residents.

Last year, Council members committed to not to raise sanitation rates for residents in 2021 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The full Council meeting starts at 7 p.m., Jan. 19, and will be streamed on the city’s YouTube page.