McMinnville Public Works Department has been halted in its emergency purchase of a replacement junk truck.

“There was a miscommunication,” said McMinnville Public Works director Frank Southard. “We’ll have to bid the purchase out.”

Southard was given permission by both the city Streets and Sanitation Committee and the McMinnville Board of Mayor and Aldermen to spent $161,900 for an emergency purchase of a 2020 Kenworth T370 Knuckle Boom Truck from APEX Equipment out of Florida. 

Committee members approved the Kenworth due to it being ready for immediate delivery and on a government contract. A state bid is a contract open to all government entities. Because the item has already been bid, it removes the time in bidding out the purchase which could tack several weeks onto delivery.

“Right now our guys are using a garbage truck and picking up items by hand,” said Southard, stressing the need for a truck as soon as possible to members of the committee. “It’s been that way for the last month and a half. We need to purchase a knuckle boom truck.”

Southard declined to provide the exact nature of the miscommunication that led to the decision not to pursue the Kenworth and instead, bid out the purchase of a Knuckle Boom Truck.