Pocatello council approves surplus paver trade-in, piggyback purchase of refuse containers

The Pocatello City Council on Feb. 5 authorized several procurement and equipment steps that city staff said will support maintenance and sanitation operations.

Surplus paver: Staff proposed declaring a 2012 Caterpillar asphalt paver surplus and authorizing a trade-in toward an FY2026 equipment purchase. Tom Kirkman of Public Works explained that the vendor does not offer a lease program for the paver, that these machines have long repairable lifespans, and that a new unit is expected to last about 15 years. Kirkman also walked council through the city's pavement-management approach, noting a recent professional survey returned a pavement-condition index of 75 for the city and describing treatment options from fog seals to full repaves.

Refuse containers: The council approved piggybacking the city's 2023 competitively bid pricing with Enterprise Sales to purchase a mix of front-load and roll-off containers totaling $284,300 and funded from the sanitation services FY2026 budget. Kirkman explained that piggyback procurement follows Idaho bid law allowing the city to use certain existing competitively bid contracts, and that the purchase addresses increased roll-off demand and improves crew safety by shifting more commercial routes to front-load containers.

Council approved both items by motion and roll-call votes. Staff said the refuse-container order will replace aging containers and support safety and operational efficiency; related questions about roll-off fees and truck capacity were addressed and will be followed up as staff compiles further details.