New Earle garbage truck not ready

New Earle garbage truck not ready

City could be liable for wear and tear on rental

news@theeveningtimes.com

A new garbage truck Earle ordered won’t be ready until June and the delay is raising concerns about whether the city will be responsible for more wear and tear when it turns in the old one.

The city signed a lease to get a new automated truck which was supposed to be ready in February.

But according to Councilman Donnie Cheers, that means the city will be liable for any further wear and tear for another four months.

“It’s not our fault we didn’t get it in February,” Cheers said. “In four months, anything can hap-

Photo by Pam Coulter

Goin’ on an Egg Hunt

Henley Martinez and her daddy enjoyed Sparky the Fire Dog at the Easter Egg hunt at the Crittenden County Boys and Girls Club last Saturday. (More Egg Hunt photos on Page 12). pen. I was just wondering if they were going to charge us more for wear and tear on the old truck because that is an extra four months.”

Earle leased a new Freightliner 20-yard sideloading or “one arm bandit” garbage truck in February 2014 when it decided to pick up its own garbage.

The lease was for $3,178 a month with a guaranteed buy back at the end of the lease for $113,000.

But now that the chassis won’t be ready until June, the leasing company wants the city to sign a lease extension on the old one until the new one arrives.

Under the old lease terms, the city would not be responsible for any additional fees as long as the truck is returned in good shape in the agreed upon condition.

Cheers said he is concerned that something big not covered by the warranty or normal use could go wrong in that time that could end up costing the city money.

“We renewed our contract,” Cheers said. “They came to us and said we would have our garbage truck by February. We should have had our truck by now. That’s on them, not us. And since we will be operating the old one for the next four months, if anything happens to it, we are still liable for it.”

Cheers asked City Attorney Davis Loftin if there was any way they could still sign the lease extension but negotiate different terms freeing them of any additional fees if something goes wrong from now until the time they take possession of the new truck.

“What is it we can do?”

Cheers asked. “What is it we can say?”

Loftin said the city might be able to negotiate something with the dealer.

“I suppose we could talk to them to put something in there,” Loftin said. “It says all terms and conditions will be unchanged. “We can talk to them to see what we can work out.”

Councilwoman Jimmie Barham said the city doesn’t have much alternative other than to sign the extension.

“We certainly aren’t going to buy one,” Barham said.

“We’re going to need an extension. What’s the alternative.”

City Clerk Cynthia Conner said she would contact the dealer with the council’s concerns.

The lease needs to be signed by March 24.

“I guess we can give them a call,” Conner said.

By Mark Randall