The normally routine purchase of a new truck caused a bit of a stir this week at a Pekin City Council meeting.
A 2026 Ford F-550 with a dump body and a nearly $80,000 price tag will replace a 2003 one-ton dump truck with more than 140,000 miles of service in the street department.
The old truck, which is on the city's fleet rotation cycle, is suffering from rust issues, a constantly slipping transmission and other problems, according to city officials.
It will be sold at auction.
"We want our employees to drive safe vehicles. That's important for us," said City Manager John Dossey.
Josh Wray, the city's economic development director, filled in for Public Works Director Simon Grimm during the council's discussion of the purchase.
"It's not like the old truck has 50,000 miles on it and we're trading up," Wray said.
"The floor in the cab is rotted out and the bed of the truck has significant rust issues. Things often fall out of the bed onto the road. It seems like the truck is always in the shop being worked on."
Council member Dave Nutter said he couldn't believe the old truck was still on the road.
But he questioned the city obtaining just one bid [from state bidder Morrow Brothers Ford in Greenfield] for such a large purchase and the timing of the purchase, just before the April 30 ending of the current fiscal year.
Former council candidate Matthew Johnson, who often says the city has "a spending problem" during his public comments at council meetings, repeated that criticism and asked if the truck was good enough for the used vehicle market, why wasn't it good enough for the city?
The vote for the purchase was 4-1, with Nutter abstaining because he has a family member who is employed in the street department. Jake Fletcher cast the "no" vote.
500 more 96-gallon recycling totes ordered
The city's decision earlier this year to switch from weekly to twice-a-month recycling pickup as a cost-saving measure was not applauded by many residents.
To help, the city is providing for free through May 31 a 96-gallon recycling tote for residents who request one by calling City Hall. Currently, residents have 64-gallon recycling totes.
After ordering 1,000 of the 96-gallon totes a few weeks ago, the city ordered another 500 this week. Council unanimously approved the purchase.
"With the rush of people who have been asking for the cans, we need to order 500 more to meet that demand," Dossey said. "[The demand] seems to be slowing down, so I think we're right where we need to be right now."
The cost to the city for the additional 500 cans is nearly $25,000 at a discounted rate. The discount also was applied to the initial purchase of 1,000 cans. So the total cost is about $75,000.
Starting June 1, residents must pay $60 for a 94-gallon can.
"That's basically our cost," Dossey said.
Contract awarded for code enforcement work
Contracts to board up buildings, for city code violation work and for sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements for the next fiscal year were approved by the council.
Pekin-based CMT Excavating was awarded a contract to board and secure dangerous or vacant structures.
JIMAX Landscaping of Peoria received a contract for mowing/brush clearing and other landscaping work related to code enforcement violations.
The amount of each contract will be determined by the work that needs to be done.
MERC Construction of Wyoming, Ill., was awarded a contract for sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements.
Downtown is one area on the project list. Up to $1 million is expected to be spent through the end of 2027.
MERC also was awarded a contract for sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements in Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] areas including downtown.
Up to $200,000 in CDBF funds is expected to be spent for sidewalk and ramp work through 2027.
Other CDBF funds are expected to be used next fiscal year for the police department's social worker [$65,000] and for a fire apparatus purchase [$200,000].
Cruise-in gets more city sponsorship money
In other action this week, the council:
• Approved adding $2,500 to the city's sponsorship of the Cruise-in on the River car show May 23 hosted by Roger Brotherton. The sponsorship amount is now $5,000.
• Approved adding up to $400,000 to the nearly $9.6 million contract awarded to the Morton-based Otto Baum Company last year for the Court Street rehabilitation project from 10th Street to Stadium Drive. The additional funding will cover work on Park Avenue.
• Approved emergency spending authority of up to $300,000 for pay for repairs to a creek bed east of Ashwood Lane that has experienced significant erosion. The erosion has exposed a natural gas main that's collapsing under the erosion's weight.
• Approved a TIF [tax increment financing] agreement for a maximum $1 million over up to 17 years with dentist Meghan Jennings, who plans to renovate her building at 2808-2816 Court Street. Reimbursements are expected to begin in the 2027-28 fiscal year and only will be paid out if the project generates additional real estate taxes.
• Approved adding up to $3 million to a low-interest $19.9 million Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan for change orders in a combined sewer overflow project
• Approved allowing tourism fund money to be used for any purpose — not just tourism — because of a transfer of some tourism funds to the general fund in the 2026-27 city budget. The vote was 4-2, with Fletcher and Nutter voting "no."
• Approved paying about $25,550 to renew the city's agenda and meeting management software agreement with Manhattan, Kan.-based CivicPlus for the next fiscal year.
