Speakers question money city officials wanted to spend on inspection vehicle, bulldozer

QUINCY — Two speakers at Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting in the Quincy Public Library questioned how much city officials wanted to spend on a vehicle and a bulldozer. 

Ernest Hicks asked about the proposed purchase of a 2025 Kia Sportage from Shottenkirk Kia for $31,593.03 as an Inspection vehicle.

“My question is: How did they monitor before?” Hicks said. “Were they driving their personal vehicle, or is this a new situation where they need a new vehicle? Upon further checking, Shottenkirk has the same vehicle with a lesser luxury package for $5,000 less. I’m just wondering why we’re paying almost $32,000 for a vehicle we could have got for $26,000.”

Chuck Bevelheimer, director of planning and development, said in an Aug. 6 memo that city inspectors (building, plumbing, electrical and nuisance) drive secondhand police cars — all with more than 133,000 miles — for daily inspections.

Hicks also questioned four items approved by aldermen at the Aug. 5 City Council meeting:

• A low bid from Reliant Gases of Pampa, Texas, for liquid carbon dioxide at the cost of $325 per ton for the treatment of drinking water. “How many tons per month? How many tons per year?” Hicks asked.
• A bid of $38,055 from Core and Main of Washington, Ill., for stock items used for the maintenance and repair of underground water infrastructure. “What are these stock items?” Hicks asked.
• An invoice for $8,243.31 from Shannon Chemical Corporation of Malvern, Pa., to buy sodium permanganate. “How often do we use it? How often do we purchase it?” Hicks asked.
• A flood insurance premium payment for $8,235 to Wright National Flood Insurance Company of St. Petersburg, Fla. *What does that cover? A building? A city?” Hicks asked.

“I seem to be the only one every week coming up here and asking these questions, and it kind of surprises me,” Hicks said. “There’s 42,000 people in this town … and 14 aldermen. That comes down to an average of 3,000 people per alderman. I’m sure those 3,000 people per alderman have more than the two dozen questions I’ve heard asked in the month or so that I’ve been attending these meetings, I feel that’s a lack of representation.”

Quincy Mayor Mike Troup explained that the detail on the purchases Hicks was questioning is typically discussed at various committee meetings. 

“On the car, we go out for bids,” Troup said. “We don’t go just shopping at a car lot. Dealers who want to respond to any bids of vehicles that we’re buying need to reply to it. Under law, we take the lowest qualified bid, so we’re following all the procedures. … I’d encourage you to come into a couple of committee meetings.”

“With looking at the City Hall (renovations), you gave me the same answer (at last week’s meeting) that ‘I’m taking the lowest bid,’” Hicks said. “That doesn’t seem to have turned out too well. Maybe the lowest bid isn’t always the way to go.”

“Well, by state law, it’s the only way we can go,” Troup said.

Steve Homan then questioned a resolution to spend $183,139 with Luby Equipment of Quincy to buy a 2017 Case 1650M XLT bulldozer.

“I did a little research today on the dozers, and (the bulldozer) we’re looking is about $50,000 overpriced,” he said. “There are ones that I found in Evansville, Ind., and other places that have less hours and are newer models and are cheaper. Case bulldozers are notorious for having problems. If we’re going to look at one, shouldn’t we be looking at a Caterpillar or a John Deere dozer? There needs to be more research done on these before we just go and purchase something.”

Homan questioned the need for a bulldozer of that size, saying one half that size could do the work needed at the Quincy landfill.

When the resolution came up for a vote, Aldermen Ken Hultz (R-3) later asked Director of Public Works Jeffrey Conte to provide details.

“Keep in mind, we’re not pushing dirt out there,” Conte said. “We’re pushing chunks of concrete that have come up from broken streets. You need some horsepower to move that material. It’s not just scraping dirt. We’re trying to move material across a very large field to keep it even and use the space as best we can.

“ … This dozer has been in Luby’s possession since it was purchased. We know all about its history. We know it’s been serviced. We buy something online, it’s kind of buyer beware. If we send someone to inspect the piece of equipment, are they going to let us use it for the last three months like Luby did? It’s not going to be the cheapest dozer, but it’s the right size dozer. I think the price is good. We know Luby, we know this dozer. We’ve had it for three months and haven’t had any issues with it.”

Aldermen approved the purchase of the inspection vehicle and the bulldozer.

In other action, aldermen:

• Saw Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department, swear in Reagan Kurfman, a member of the Marion (Iowa) Police Department since 2019. Kurfman is a 2013 graduate of Quincy High School and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University. He will join his brother, Elijah, who has been with QPD since December 2023. As a lateral transfers, Kurfman must complete 150 hours of Illinois law and firearms training and take a certification exam.
• Approved a resolution stating the city’s intent to designate 8.1 acres of land at 54^th and Broadway as a business district, to impose business district sales taxes and to induce development interest within such district. A public hearing will be held Sept. 16 at Quincy City Hall.
• Learned the city-wide cleanup is scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Front and Payson.
• Allowed the Quincy Kiwanis Club to hold its “Peanut Day” from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 30 at various locations throughout the city.
• Heard Troup proclaim Aug. 12-18 as Illinois Municipal Treasurer’s Week.
• Approved a low bid from Design Plastic Systems, Inc. of Norristown, Pa., for the furnishing of four chemical storage tanks at the cost of $20,620.
• Approved the low proposal from The Business Centre for a five-year copier rental program at an estimated annual cost of $20,102.16.
• Approved a proposal from Granicus for $42,042.31 for the Government Experience Service Cloud Essentials platform upgrade.
• Approved an ordinance creating a no-parking zone on each side of North 30th Street between Broadway and Chestnut.
• Approved an ordinance adding parking in the parkway on the east side of N. Second Street, from Locust Street north to the alley.