City of Nashua
Office of TheTreasurer
229 Main Street - Nashua, NH 03060 (603) 589-3194
Fax (603)589-3228
TO: Board of Aldermen October 18, 2018
FROM: Derek S. Danielson, Assistant Treasurer D. S.D.
RE: Purchase replacement for two 2010 Freightliner Molley Trolley Transit Buses
The purpose of this communication is to provide background information to the Board of Aldermen regarding the
memo on your agenda tonight from Mayor Donchess. Two vehicles listed in the FY2018 Adopted Budget under the
Planned CERF Replacements schedule will exceed the ten percent purchase price threshold. In particular, the two
2010 Freightliner Molley Trolley Transit Buses. Transit buses are typically grant funded, with a local match funded
by the City. Therefore, the City’s budgeted local match in CERF for the Molley Trolleys was $38,981 per bus
($77,963 total). The Transit department received grants to purchase electric hybrid buses, which require a local
match from the City of $51,375 per bus ($102,750 total), which exceeds the 10% threshold by $16,991.
The reason for this variance is because transit originally planned to replace the Trolleys with Compressed
Natural Gas vehicles, which are less expensive. This past spring, Transit seized the opportunity to apply for a
Low-No Emission grant to pursue even greener technology with electric hybrid vehicles. This is an extremely
competitive grant process, where Transit will partner with BAE Systems and build upon our existing
relationship with Gillig to expand our fleet of green vehicles. These vehicles will have BAE Systems’
HybriDrive Series Propulsion Systems and next-generation energy storage systems. These new technologies
will significantly reduce emissions and assist the City of Nashua in achieving its goal of reducing municipal
vehicle emissions by 25% by 2025, while maintaining compliance with new Federal Transit Administration
requirements on reducing the age our bus fleet.
Cc Mayor Jim Donchess
David G. Fredette, Treasurer/Tax Collector
Sue Lovering, Aldermanic Legislation Manager
Camille Pattison, Transportation Department Manager 18-015
