Salina Commission Approves $4.8 million in 2026 Vehicle and Equipment Purchases

The Salina City Commission on Monday reviewed a slate of vehicle and equipment purchases tied to the city’s 2026 Capital Improvement Program, with staff recommending approval of most bids and rebidding two items due to confusion during the process.

Debbie Pack, the city’s director of finance, said the commission had previously approved the 2026 CIP purchases on Nov. 24, 2025, at an estimated total cost of $4.8 million. The purchases span multiple departments and are funded through various city funds.

Pack said Central Garage staff worked with city departments to develop specifications for the equipment and vehicles, and the city later solicited 24 bids for 24 items on the approved list.

From those bids, staff recommended rebidding two items after determining there had been confusion in the bidding process and that the bids did not fully line up with the specifications outlined in the city’s 10-year plan.

For the remaining items, Pack said the recommendations were laid out in a table included in the staff report. Of those bids, 13 were recommended to go to the lowest bidders. Nine others were recommended to vendors who were not the low bid because certain specifications were not met.

Pack told commissioners the bids being recommended were, overall, under budget when compared to the available funding in the various funds tied to the purchases.

She also noted that any remaining items not yet bid that exceed $50,000 will be brought back to the City Commission separately for approval.

Pack said commissioners had several options, including approving the agreements as recommended, approving them with changes, or postponing or declining authorization and directing staff on how to proceed. She noted that rebidding or delaying purchases could lead to delivery delays and possible cost increases.

During the discussion, Commissioner Doug Rempp praised city staff for the work that went into preparing the package.

“I’d like to commend the staff at Central Garage for putting this together without needing a consultant to figure it out. They deserve credit for that. After going through it in detail, I also want to voice my appreciation that many of the vendors are local, and many of the vehicles and implements being purchased came in under bid. I like that.”

Pack said additional staff members were also present at the meeting to answer questions about specific items included in the recommendations.

The agreement was approved by the city commission 4 - 0