Town of Carmel agencies are on a roll 

At the board’s Jan. 14 meeting, officials from the Police Department, the Highway Department and the Recreation and Parks Department all expressed the need for the purchase of new vehicles. 

Police Chief Anthony Hoffmann told the board that as part of his department’s annual fleet purchase, he would like to buy two 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe police pursuit vehicles. He said that after assessing the department’s needs, the Tahoe was determined to be the best choice due to its additional cargo space and handling. 

“One of the Tahoes would be designated to replace the department’s current ERT (Emergency Response Team) patrol vehicle, a 2021 Ford F-150 Responder,” Hoffmann told the board. “This vehicle is utilized on patrol by members of the ERT team and has additional requirements for cargo and weapons storage space that the Tahoe can provide better than other available police vehicles.” 

Hoffmann said that for this purchase, the department would use Utilitac of Ridgway, Pa. 

“We used Utilitac for two replacement vehicles last year, and we are satisfied with their finished product and their level of service post-delivery,” the chief said. “Utilitac not only provides complete turnkey vehicle acquisition and upfitting with significant savings but would also save us an additional approximately $14,000 by offering a 2025 model compared to a 2026 model. 

“Our research determined that there is no real difference between these model years,” he continued. “The total for this purchase would be $153,098 for both vehicles. To support this purchase, $145,000 will come from CPD’s 2026 vehicle budget, with $13,098.84 coming from the sale of the department’s old patrol boat.” 

Hoffmann said it will take about 18 weeks for the vehicles to be delivered from the time of the order. 

“Utilitac is one-stop shopping,” he said. “We get stripping, lights and sirens, and all the equipment.” 

Highway Department seeks three vehicles 

Highway Superintendent Mike Stern told the board that his department is in need of three vehicles. The first is a Dodge Ram pickup truck. 

“I am requesting authorization to purchase from Dutchess Chrysler Jeep a 2026 Dodge Ram 5500 4x4 cab and chassis, at a cost of $72,939,” Stern told the board. “I intend to purchase this vehicle utilizing state DOT CHIPS funds. We will do the bed installation ourselves and save about $12,000.” 

Second on Stern’s shopping list is an additional shop truck. He said that after conducting research and reviewing available options, he chose a used 2015 Chevrolet 1500 pickup from Upstate Auto Sales at a cost of $17,221. 

Stern told the board that there are funds in the budget to pay for the purchase. 

“As the vendor is currently holding the vehicle for us, I respectfully request that this matter be placed on the agenda and voted on as soon as possible,” he said. “We will add a plow, as we are trying to get some of our old rust buckets off the streets.” 

Stern also noted that the department’s 2009 bucket truck has reached the end of its useful life and is requesting authorization to purchase a replacement bucket truck from Altec Industries Inc. 

The bucket truck of choice is a 2027 Freightliner M2-106 Plus cab and chassis at a cost of $246,205. 

“This one is going to be a 10-month build,” he said. “This truck, if it is not snowing, is out every single day. It’s probably the single most used piece of equipment in the Highway Department besides our loaders. The current one is not going to pass inspection pretty soon, and every time we have to fix it, it costs us about $25,000.” 

Stern said the Highway Department has sufficient funds available for the purchase of the truck. 

“Given the anticipated 10-month build time for this vehicle, combined with the increasing costs associated with maintaining the existing tree truck, I respectfully request an immediate vote to approve this purchase.” 

The board proceeded to greenlight the purchase. 

Rec. Department seeks multipurpose machine 

Rec Director Nina Kallmeyer is looking to purchase a Ventrac tractor, a unique multipurpose machine designed to operate a wide range of attachments, allowing one tractor to perform an array of maintenance tasks across the park system. 

“Joe [Cotone, buildings and grounds maintenance supervisor] did a lot of work on this, checking it out,” Kallmeyer said. “He did have the company come out and do a demo with him. For a long time, we didn't have the best equipment or any equipment. So, in order for us to take the parks back and do what we are supposed to do, it is vital that we purchase this piece of equipment.” 

Cotone noted that if they bought individual pieces of equipment to do what this machine does, it would cost more than $200,000. 

“Our parks system has a variety of maintenance needs that can be efficiently handled by this single platform,” Kallmeyer explained. 

Here is a breakdown of the cost of the tractor and its various attachments: 

• Ventrac tractor with Kubota engine—$37,728.50 

• Ballpark groomer attachment—a rear-mounted attachment to be used to groom and maintain ballfields. The existing groomers are outdated and increasingly unreliable—$5,368 

• Ballpark renovator attachment—The ballpark renovator will allow staff to resurface infields to maintain the proper level and pitch—$3,471 

• Aerator with seed box and rear broadcast spreader attachments —These attachments will enable the Parks Department to implement its own turf management program. It allows aeration, overseeding and fertilization to occur at optimal times throughout the season—$10,736; rear broadcast spreader—$2,963 

• Power bucket attachment—This allows the Ventrac to function as a compact tractor for moving mulch, topsoil, Item 4 and other materials—$2,547 

• Terra rake attachment—This will be used for rough grading and regrading Item 4 parking lots and similar surfaces throughout the park system—$3,097 

• Tough cut mower attachment — Designed for maintaining overgrown areas, including park edges and retention ponds, which require biannual maintenance—$5,200 

“The Ventrac platform also allows for the future purchase of additional attachments as needs arise, such as a wide-area mower, snow blower, trencher and stump grinder loader,” Kallmeyer said. “Purchasing individual machines to perform all of the above tasks would exceed $200,000. The Ventrac system provides a cost-effective, versatile solution that maximizes staff productivity and extends the department’s operational capabilities.” 

Kallmeyer said that the total cost of the tractor and accessories comes to $71,113. 

“We plan to purchase the unit using available funding from the 2025 budget and are requesting a transfer of $39,000 from the Parkland Trust to cover the remaining balance,” she told the board.