Kane County Reporter

At its April 24 meeting, the Village of Montgomery Board of Trustees expressed their disappointment upon encountering a proposal for an increased cost associated with the procurement of a new Peterbilt 548 Swap Loader truck. The additional expense, totaling $4901, arose from a previous order the Village placed during the spring of 2021 for a now-discontinued 348 model truck. It is important to note that this heavy-duty truck serves as an additional asset for the Public Works Department rather than a replacement, thus eliminating the possibility of selling any old equipment to help mitigate the expense.

The Village previously procured Public Works trucks from various brands and manufacturers, Public Works Director Mark Wolf told the board. But in 2017, the Village made a switch and started exclusively purchasing trucks from JX Peterbilt.

"So as the Village, we talked about our obviously our vehicle replacement program, this is a new additional vehicle that's being added to the Public Works Department," Wolf said in the meeting. "This has been obviously a very painstaking process as we look at not only our large vehicles but really all of our vehicles and equipment, as procurement is getting to be more and more challenging and seems to continue to be that way."

There is a waiting period of 24 months associated with this purchase. In the event that the Village decides to cancel the order, it would be susceptible to potential price hikes that may occur during the subsequent two years. Additionally, its position in the order queue might be compromised, resulting in a less favorable priority status.

"So we currently have four Peterbilts," Wolf said. "We've been very happy with their service and their dependability as far as the dealership goes. Also, the vehicles themselves have served to be great trucks for us."

Despite frustrations arising from constant changes and escalating costs, the Village has already approved two price hikes since its initial attempt to order the truck in 2021. The first increase, approximately $19,500, was attributed to chip manufacturers; the second amounted to a general rise of $17,000. The board members, however, did acknowledge that this issue extends beyond the Montgomery community, also affecting neighboring areas' ability even to acquire new vehicles for police and fire departments.

After an extensive discussion lasting nearly an hour, the board ultimately agreed to endorse the latest cost increase and will now patiently await delivery of the newest truck model.