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Council approves tour bus purchase
Tuesday’s Quincy City Council meeting was unusual in a couple of respects.
Mayor Jim Hemberry and three other council members were absent from the meeting, which due to a lack of agenda items lasted just six minutes.
Despite the atypical circumstances, the council still found the time and wherewithal to finalize the authorization of the purchase of a new tour bus.
Last month, the council approved the purchase of a new bus for $60,720.94 from Schetky Northwest Sales. However, last week Schetky informed the city that a diesel-option engine will not be available this year, so the council’s approval could purchase only a gasoline engine bus.
At that point, a company called EK Coaches informed the city that it could offer a diesel engine sometime this year. A few days later, though, the company told the city that it couldn’t guarantee a diesel engine.
Schetky then informed the city of the availability of one diesel chassis available on a first-come, first-serve basis, guaranteed to the city if ordered by Feb. 3.
Quincy recreational director Chris Koeppel told the council Tuesday that the new purchase — now costing $67,709.43 — is the best option.
“This was the original company we were looking at the whole time,” he said. “I didn’t know until a few days ago that the diesel wasn’t going to be made until later in the year. But they were able to come up with a diesel chassis, and they’re holding it for us. This is guaranteed.”
The bus will be used for the summer tours and other city activities.
• Hemberry was absent because he was in Olympia meeting with
legislators concerning the city’s water reuse utility and sales tax incentives. The city is trying to raise $2.1 million for the second phase of its reclaimed water project.
