Red Hook board approves purchase of two pickup trucks, allocates funds

The Red Hook Town Board voted unanimously April 22 to approve buying two 2026 Chevy 3,500 1-ton pickup trucks for the highway department following a presentation by the highway superintendent.

"We have a fleet overview," the Highway Superintendent (S5) told the board, describing 23 pieces of heavy equipment with a current inventory value of $2,536,880 and a projected replacement cost of roughly $44.3 million. She recommended replacing two pickup trucks now — a one-ton pickup with municipal plow (estimated $58,000) and a crew-cab utility truck with lift gate (estimated $75,000) — citing rising maintenance costs, rust and breakdown risk on older units and the operational need for road patrol and emergency response capability.

Board members discussed funding options, including cash purchases from the highway equipment (HT) line, transfers from DB/BB reserves and use of CHIPS funds, which the superintendent warned carries a 10‑year minimum service-life requirement. "If you use CHIPS funding, you have to keep the cover 10 years," one member noted, and the superintendent confirmed the constraint.

Supervisor Robert (S1) moved a revised funding motion that set a not-to-exceed amount of $60,000 for the truck from the HT equipment fund and $80,000 from the DB reserve for the upfitted crew-cab utility truck. The motion received a second and passed with all board members present voting 'Aye.'

The superintendent said the department will proceed with specifications and the bidding process and recommended selling surplus units at public auction while they retain public value. She also noted the absence of one-ton EV pickup options suitable for current municipal needs but expressed willingness to consider electric replacements if equivalent municipal-capable EVs become available in the future.

Next steps: staff will prepare procurement documents, confirm exact bid specifications and return with bid results and final purchase amounts for voucher processing.