Litchfield Approves Three New Vehicles for Public Works and Utilities

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council unanimously approved three vehicle purchases Sept. 3 — a 2027 Ford Explorer for the city’s new public works director at up to $40,792.10, a 2026 Ford Maverick for the sewer treatment plant at up to $35,976.05, and a 2026 Ford Maverick for the water treatment plant at up to $32,802, the last of which required waiving competitive bidding.

Litchfield Vehicle Purchases Key Points:

The Explorer and the first Maverick were bought from Sutton Ford of Matteson under Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract #081325; the second Maverick came from Victory Lane Ford in Litchfield under a bidding waiver.

The Explorer is for a newly created director of public works position, with staff saying all existing city vehicles are in use.

The Victory Lane Maverick is a former loaner vehicle with 6,153 miles, which the city says is considered new and carries a full warranty.

Staff said the old sewer truck and old water truck will be sold at an online auction, hoped for this fall.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, approved the purchase of three vehicles in three separate unanimous votes, replacing aging pickup trucks at the city’s water and sewer treatment plants and supplying a vehicle for a newly created public works director position.

Each resolution passed 7-0, with Alderperson Marilyn Sisson absent.

A New Position and a New SUV

Alderperson Joshua Hughes, seconded by Alderperson Robbin Huffman, moved approval of a resolution authorizing the purchase of a 2027 Ford Explorer from Sutton Ford for an amount not to exceed $40,792.10 under Sourcewell cooperative purchasing.

A Sutton Ford customer quote in the packet, dated Aug. 10, 2026, and prepared by Scott Ourednik, lists the vehicle as a 2027 Explorer Active 4WD, body code K8D, in Oxford White with Ultra Dark Space Gray cloth interior. The quote shows a base contract price of $40,319.10 plus $300 for delivery and $173 for M plates, an options subtotal of $473, and a total contract price under Sourcewell of $40,792.10. Sutton Ford Inc. is listed at 21315 Central Avenue in Matteson.

The agenda memo states the vehicle is for the director of public works, that all city vehicles are currently being utilized, and that the position requires a vehicle for daily use on job sites. General funds are available, according to the memo, and the purchase was recommended by the city administrator and the public works director.

Asked during discussion whether the purchase went out to bid, City Administrator Breann Vazquez explained the Sourcewell mechanism. “This is from Sourcewell. It’s a municipal purchasing — so it’s a way that municipalities can purchase vehicles,” she said. Vazquez said the city checked pricing with its local dealership and with the holder of the state bid, and that the state bid dealer did not have anything readily available matching the specification.

Asked to explain the purchase for the public, Vazquez said the SUV is for the city’s director of public works, “a new position,” and that no vehicle had been assigned to it. “We felt that an SUV would meet both the administrative and fieldwork,” she said. Availability, she noted, is a factor whenever vehicles go out to bid.

Two Mavericks, Two Procurement Routes

Alderperson Robert Garcia, seconded by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt, moved approval of a resolution authorizing the purchase of a 2026 Ford Maverick from Sutton Ford under Sourcewell for an amount not to exceed $35,976.05.

The Sutton quote for that vehicle, dated Aug. 24, 2026, lists a Maverick XLT AWD with a base contract price of $31,369.80 and an options subtotal of $4,606.25. Priced options include an XLT with AWD and 2.0L EcoBoost with 8-speed automatic transmission at $737.55, a 4,000-pound tow package at $737.55, an XLT Luxury Package at $1,871.10, and Ford Co-Pilot360 1.0 at $787.05, plus $300 delivery and $173 for M plates. The agenda memo states the vehicle replaces the existing pickup truck at the sewer treatment plant as budgeted, that it is brand new with a full factory warranty, and that sewer enterprise funds are available.

Garcia, seconded by Alderperson Joshua Hughes, then moved a separate resolution waiving competitive bidding and approving the purchase of a 2026 Ford Maverick from Victory Lane Ford for an amount not to exceed $32,802.

The agenda memo for that purchase states the vehicle replaces the existing pickup truck at the water treatment plant as budgeted, and that the city purchases from local dealerships when possible. “Victory Lane has this vehicle on the lot below municipal fleet pricing,” the memo states. “It has been used as a loaner vehicle and has 6,153 miles on it. It is considered a new vehicle with full warranty.” Water enterprise funds are available, according to the memo.

A cash disclosure from Victory Lane Ford, 903 Old Route 66 N in Litchfield, dated Aug. 27, 2026, and prepared by salesperson Daniel Hogan, identifies the vehicle as stock T26113, a black 2026 Ford Maverick X with 6,153 miles. It lists a selling price of $33,487, a $100 documentary fee, a $35 CVR fee, $15 for license and $165 for certificate of title, for a total cash price of $33,802, less $1,000 in rebates, leaving a balance due of $32,802. The resolution recites that the city determined it appropriate to waive normal and customary bidding procedures according to a super-majority vote.

Asked what the Victory Lane vehicle is for, Vazquez said it is for the water treatment plant, which has a pickup truck that is “very old, has a lot of miles on it, has some issues.”

Old Trucks Headed to Auction

Discussion of the sewer plant purchase turned to what happens to the vehicles being replaced. Vazquez said that after public works finishes purchasing equipment and vehicles for the year, the city plans to auction off the old sewer truck and the old water truck in an online auction, which she said the city hopes to hold this fall.

Members of the council welcomed the fact that one of the three purchases went to a Litchfield dealership. No resolution numbers had been assigned on the copies of the three resolutions included in the agenda packet.