By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Two of the city’s departments soon will have a few new heavy-duty vehicles, after the Alabaster City Council voted to approve the purchases during a recent meeting.

Council members voted unanimously during their Jan. 22 meeting to purchase vehicles for the Environmental Services and Planning and Safety Divisions.

For the Planning and Safety Division, the council approved a total of $29,068 to purchase a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado from Donohoo Chevrolet to replace an aging vehicle currently being used by the department. Of the expense, $27,641 will be for the vehicle and $1,427 will be for window tint and strobe lights on the front and back of the truck.

The department had budgeted $32,500 for the new vehicle in its fiscal year 2018 budget, according to the council.

Council members also voted to purchase a pair of new vehicles for the city’s Environmental Services Department: A 2018 Freightliner pumper truck and a 2018 Auto Crane.

The city will pay $132,428 for the Auto Crane, which is a truck with a telescoping mobile crane attached to it, from the National Joint Purchasing Alliance pre-approved bid list.

The department had budgeted $120,754 for the Auto Crane, and the council approved a budget adjustment of $11,674 to cover the remainder of the expense.

The city will pay $120,754 for the 2018 Freightliner pumper truck, which is used to remove waste materials from the city’s wastewater treatment plant to allow the tanks to be cleaned, also from the National Joint Purchasing Alliance pre-approved bid list.

The department had previously budgeted for the purchase of the Freightliner, according to the council.