In preparation for the new custom-made, $1.03 million fire ladder truck, Athens City Council members are debating different solutions for the disposal of the current truck.
After two ordinances allowing city officials to purchase a truck were approved at the May 2 meeting, council members now must decide whether to sell or trade in the current truck, said Councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at Large, at last night’s meeting.
City officials would like to make a profit from the current truck, Knisely said.
If city officials were to trade in the truck, they would hope to do it through a government agency or a nonprofit organization, she said.
Potentially, a trade-in could bring the city about $30,000, Knisely said. She added that if the truck is sold, the city could receive about $50,000.
Although there are no bids for the current truck, Sutphen Corporation, the company that will be constructing the new truck, has offered to help dispose of the current one, she said.
The company would allow the city to trade in the truck, she added.
The new truck could be available for use as early as November or December of this year, although council members originally expected the construction to take about a year, she said.
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