ROCHELLE – The Rochelle City Council voted down a lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management for a 2024 Chevrolet 3500 Starcraft Bus, to be used for community events, staff transportation, and tours. The new bus was to support local events, including park activities, chamber functions, festivals, and out-of-town training, all for around a $1500 per month lease.
Councilmember Tom McDermott said he thought it was a solution looking for a problem.
“If we use the bus, the estimated, and this is everybody throwing everything they can at the wall, 24 to 30 times a year, it would still be cheaper to rent the bus for $600 per time,” he said.
The total cost of the lease was going to be in excess of $90,000, with over $35,000 raised through community contributions to help offset the cost.
Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows hoped the council would approve to help the older members of the community.
“As you know, I’ve been very, as we all have, very proactive on promoting in our community, and I feel this is an extremely important part when you have the various festivals that our seniors can’t get to because they don’t wanna park six blocks away. I, for one, am gonna support them because this option makes sense,” he said.
The proposal was voted down 5-2
