Town to buy two police vehicles, mini-excavator

TRYON — The town of Tryon should soon have two new police vehicles to roll into its fleet, as well as a mini-excavator and a new trash truck.

Tryon Town Council met Tuesday and approved bids on the police vehicles, to be financed for $75,000 total, and a mini-excavator (Caterpillar 304E2) for $55,539.

Commissioners also approved going out for formal bids on a new trash truck, with the town receiving an initial quote of $143,000.

“The most important equipment need for the town is currently a trash truck,” said Town Manager Zach Ollis. “We have done research into the cost, and received an initial quote of $143,000. The town will be required to perform a formal bid to purchase any equipment at this price.”

All purchases were included in this year’s budget, which was approved by the town in June and began on July 1.

Ollis said the mini-excavator will allow the town to get into smaller, more dense and narrow forest areas when working on pipes.

Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples said the town has had more than one occasion where it could not get larger equipment, such as a backhoe, into an area, and had to rent a mini-excavator. He said once there was an issue on a sewer line behind the IGA, and the town had to rent a mini-excavator. It rained for 11 days and the equipment could not be used, but the town still had to pay the rental fee.

“This is to eliminate that,” Peoples said.

The town approved a bid for the mini-excavator from Carolina Cat, out of Charlotte.

The town will finance the two police cars over five years at an interest rate of 2.89 percent.

Commissioners approved going out to formal bid for a new trash truck. The town picks up all trash in town limits itself with a truck and a crew.

It is not known how long the formal bid process will take or exactly when a new trash truck can be purchased and delivered to be put into service.