MONTICELLO – The Village of Monticello’s aging highway fleet and a recent engine failure have prompted Highway Superintendent Jay Sherb to urge the purchase of a new heavy-duty plow truck.

The need arose after a 16-year-old vehicle, referred to by Sherb as “Truck 13”, suffered a serious engine failure, reducing the Village’s large truck fleet from five to four.

“The motor blew up,” Sherb said. “The average cost to put a motor in it is around $50,000, which would have to come out of the general fund. In my professional opinion, the truck’s not worth putting the money into. It has other problems and has seen its better days.”

The department is currently operating four primary plow trucks with one additional spare. Sherb said one truck is new, two are 28 and 30 years old respectively, and two others are 16 years old.

“We’ve put probably $35,000 into keeping these trucks running,” Sherb said, noting that repairs have largely depleted the department’s repair budget for the fiscal year.

Using cooperative purchasing programs such as Sourcewell, Sherb estimated the total cost of a replacement chassis at approximately $212,000, with the chassis itself costing about $143,000.

He pointed to upcoming Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) reimbursement funds expected from New York State in early March, along with additional allocations anticipated after adoption of the state budget.

Sherb emphasized that timing is critical. The chassis manufacturer, Freightliner, currently has a six-month build timeline, and federal diesel emission standards are scheduled to change for the 2027 model year.

“If we order it by the end of this month, we’re guaranteed a slot to get the truck built,” Sherb said. “Past the end of this month, there’s a good shot it becomes 2027 with an unknown cost. I never like to get something that’s the first year of production, that’s when you find out everything that’s wrong with it.”

Sherb reiterated his support for continuing to purchase heavy-duty trucks rather than switching to medium-duty models.

“There’s been a suggestion [to go to medium-duty trucks],” he said. “The problem I see is they’re not enough to handle our bigger roads and hills. We have a lot of hills.”

He noted that snow weight accumulates quickly across the Village’s approximately 29 centerline miles of roadway.

“If you go with a lighter truck, you’re going to tax it more and you won’t get the longevity we’ve been able to get,” Sherb said, adding that CHIPS-funded equipment must meet a 10-year service requirement.

In response to questions from the board, Sherb explained that CHIPS and related state highway programs may be used for both equipment purchases and infrastructure improvements, including drainage work and pipe replacements that extend the life of roadways.

“I’ve never wanted to empty the cupboard completely,” Sherb said. “I always leave a couple hundred thousand in our CHIPS budget in case we run into something.”

Sherb also detailed maintenance practices intended to prolong the fleet’s lifespan, including twice-annual protective undercoating applications, construction of an in-house undercarriage wash system, and the purchase of stainless steel bodies that can be transferred to future chassis.

“Rust is the number one enemy of all these vehicles,” he said.

Village Attorney Michael Sussman asked what would happen if additional trucks failed during winter operations and no replacement had been ordered.

“You would probably be 10 or 12 hours a truck to cover the runs,” Sherb said.

“If we get one truck down, we’re down to three trucks,” Village Manager James Snowden added. “Now those three trucks are overworking because they have to take over those runs. If we’re down two trucks, it’s a chain reaction.”

Trustee Gordon Jenkins asked about the possibility of sharing services with the Town of Thompson. Sherb said outside assistance would likely only be available after other municipalities had addressed their own routes.

Following the advice, the board didn’t take formal action on the purchase during the meeting.