OVTC approves van purchase

As part of an overall plan to replace vehicles on a regular basis and a move away from buses, the Oneida Vilas Transit Commission (OVTC), which oversees Northwoods Transit Connections (NTC), recently approved the purchase of three Ford Transit vans.

During the Aug. 31 OVTC meeting, NTC manager Barb Newman said the vehicles will be purchased through the state of Wisconsin’s procurement program at $77,910 each for a total of $233,730. 

Aside from grant money the OVTC is eligible to use, Newman said it has $40,000 in its savings to help pay for the OVTC’s share of the cost and she said other funding would come from the aging and disability resource centers in Oneida and Vilas counties. 

Once resolutions authorizing the OVTC to apply for a loan are approved by each county board, a short-term loan will be used to pay for the buses up-front once they are ready for delivery. 

The timeline for delivery is an unknown at this point, Newman said. If she has at least a month to get the loan and get the buses paid for, that would be ideal, she added. Whatever the case, approval of the loan authorization resolutions at the county board level, in order to comply with the OVTC charter, needs to be done. 

“That’s the first step to make this whole process happen,” OVTC chairman Marv Anderson said. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at bjopek@lakelandtimes.com.