Council approves three public-works vehicle purchases from replacement reserve

The Milford City Council approved three vehicle purchases for Public Works funded from the equipment replacement reserves. Public Works staff presented three requests: a Ford F-150 Lightning to replace a Ford F-250 with failing suspension ($59,000); a Ford F-450 utility vehicle to replace a high-mileage unit with a failing transmission ($104,200); and a new Ford F-150 Lightning for facilities and refuse to replace use of a personal vehicle for a supervisor ($66,000). All three vehicles were proposed to be purchased through the Delaware state contract.

Staff said the F-250 replacement has 92,000 miles and the F-450 has 124,000 miles and would require an estimated $15,000 transmission repair; staff recommended replacement as better fiscal stewardship. The new F-150 Lightning was described as an EV choice intended to begin shifting city fleet vehicles toward electric-vehicle technology.

Council votes: Council moved and seconded the three separate purchase motions and approved each purchase. Finance staff confirmed the purchases were at or below the budgeted amounts in the equipment replacement and capital budgets.

Implementation: Vehicles will be procured through the state contract, delivered to Public Works and assigned to the appropriate divisions; funds will be drawn from the equipment replacement reserve as planned in the FY-26 vehicle/replacement schedule.