SPRINGFIELD — The city is planning to spend $4.3 million this spring to replace a wide variety of vehicles for multiple departments and is developing a long-term citywide buying plan for future equipment.
In the short-term, the City Council agreed this month to spend $1 million from Springfield’s free cash account to purchase some of the vehicles on the list. City officials said they are planning to return in June to ask to bond for roughly $3.3 million to buy more equipment.
The total amount will be used to replace 37 vehicles for seven different departments, including public works, health and parks and building maintenance. The $1 million will be used mostly to replace smaller vehicles, such as pickup trucks, cars and sport utility vehicles, while the bond will replace some larger and more expensive vehicles, such as trash trucks, said Christopher Cignoli, Department of Public Works director.
Cathy Buono, chief administrative and financial officer, said for her budgeting purposes and for the council’s understanding, it was important to know what will need replacement over the next 10 years.
Buono said she receives separate requests from police, fire, the DPW and other departments.
“The comprehensive plan will lay out what we think we need to do for each year,” said Cignoli, who agreed to take the lead to create a spending strategy with Fire Chief Bernard J. Calvi and Police Superintendent Lawrence E. Akers.
The plan is needed in part because of the sheer number and variety of vehicles the city owns. The DPW alone has between 600 and 700 vehicles worth $40 million, and that doesn’t include different fire trucks and countless police cruisers, he said.
While Cignoli is crafting the needs list, Buono will have the final say on the annual purchases. Having a long-term plan also will help when deciding if the city should use free cash, long-term bonding or even leasing as funding sources, they said.
City Council Vice President Tracye Whitfield agreed the current system can be confusing, because the council receives requests to purchase vehicles multiple times a year from different departments.
She asked if a long-term plan can help in getting a reduced cost through the bidding process, but Cignoli said the city goes through the state bid list, which normally gives the city the best price.
City Councilor Victor Davila also asked if the city is considering purchasing any greener electric vehicles in the future.
Rules requiring municipalities to purchase electric when buying larger vehicles have been paused, so the city is continuing to purchase diesel trucks because of the price, Cignoli said.
A diesel trash truck, for example, costs roughly $420,000. An electric sanitation truck costs about $1.1 million, and the city has 35 of them, so that would be a large increase in money, Cignoli said.
Cignoli said he is working with the state to apply for grants to receive money for EVs and charging stations for the future.
