SKANEATELES - It will be at least another month before a new bucket truck can be available to handle the village of Skaneateles' electrical and lighting needs after the village board of trustees decided on Monday to accept one of two proposed bids to build the vehicle.

Mayor Bob Green said the village had accepted a bid for $165,000 and the board would need to take out a five-year statutory installment bond for the new truck after they traded the old one in for $10,500.

The village had originally hoped to sell the old truck to another municipality for more money, but had to cancel those plans at the last minute, Green said.

“We were hoping to sell the truck for significantly more money, which would have gone towards the overall cost of the new truck, but that didn't happen,” Green said. “Given the current economic situation, municipalities are tightening up their belts, and they decided they couldn't buy the truck at this time.”

And while the accepted vehicle was more expensive on paper than another proposed bid for $157,000, Green said the high bid became the low bid because the second company offered significantly less money for the old truck.

Trustee Marc Angelillo said that even if the second company had offered more money for a trade-in, the village would still have taken the more expensive bid.

“I think because the (lower bid) failed to meet our specifications, we do not have to take their bid even though its lower,” Angelillo said.

The cheaper bid failed to meet the village's specifications for the boom, the platform, the hydraulic outfitters and the maneuverability of the bucket.

But before the accepted purchase could go through, Sally Sheehan, the village clerk and treasurer, said the village had to go through a bidding process to see what lender would give them the lowest interest rate on the bond.

By the time the ads were placed and those bids were received, it could be late November before the village finalized the agreement for the truck, Sheehan said.

Also on the agenda:

** The trustees agreed to use the $1,200 that had already been budgeted for 15 parking meters along Jordan Street.

Police Chief Lloyd Perkins said the meters, which were nearly 10 years old, were already showing signs of wear and tear, and the paint job would help to preserve them.

Starting in November, Perkins said that about three meters would be taken down at a time and replaced with spares to keep all of the parking spots open until the work was complete.

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net