The Aurora City Council is set to vote Tuesday night on about $4.4 million in vehicles for different city departments.
The vehicles were budgeted for 2024 as either replacements of old vehicles, or additions to the fleets in specific departments.
Most of the total of 60 vehicles – 35 of them – are for the Aurora Police Department. There are 34 listed as police utility vehicles, and one is a transport van.
There are also six vehicles for the street maintenance division and three for water and sewer maintenance, downtown maintenance and parks and recreation, as well as individual vehicles for a number of other departments.
The City Council Infrastructure and Technology Committee recommended the purchases with one no vote, from Ald. John Laesch, at large. Laesch asked it be put on unfinished business for the regular City Council meeting Tuesday so he can vote against it there, too.
Laesch’s objection is that there are no energy-efficient vehicles on the list. He said he would like to see the city move in the direction of green hydrogen vehicles, particularly for the larger ones. He added he would like to see in the future the city do its own green hydrogen electrolysis – the process that creates green hydrogen – at the new facility management site on the far East Side.
“The technology exists today,” he said.
While the technology exists, it is not widespread right now, according to some energy publications.
Derek Winston, public facilities director for the city, said since 2020, the automotive industry has been “plagued by material and labor shortages.”
It has resulted in limited availability of vehicles in general, or extended times for orders.
He said while high-efficiency vehicles remain a priority for the city, they are not always available.
“There are instances where the need is dire,” he said. “Then we’re going to go ahead and procure what’s available.”
Ald. Emmanuel Llamas, 1st Ward, said while he endorses the city going green, “it’s not an option for us on some of these vehicles right now.”
“We still have a job to do here in the city, to make sure everything gets done,” he said.
slord@tribpub.com
