Council approves purchase of Elgin Regenex street sweeper to bring service in-house

The City Council authorized the purchase of a 2025 Elgin Regenex suction street sweeper through the Sourcewell cooperative for $339,407, with the intent to bring street-sweeping services in-house.

Public Works Director Mark Picariello explained the city previously relied on a contractor, and he said rental trials and demos over five months favored the suction-style Elgin Regenex for streets without curbs and for minimizing mechanical parts compared with rear-broom sweepers. The sweeper unit was available (built in July) and staff said it should be placed into service quickly if approved.

Council discussion focused on operational cadence, staffing and cost recovery. Picariello said the city expects to operate the sweeper about one week per month and will evaluate staffing needs to avoid shortfalls in other services; he also said some stipend arrangements with FDOT and county for maintaining state/county road corridors exist but do not fully cover costs. Council discussed GPS tracking and reporting to monitor routes and progress; staff said GPS and vehicle tracking are in place and they will explore route-mapping integration.

Councilmember Frampus moved approval; Mr. Gaylord seconded. The council voted 7-0 to purchase the sweeper. Staff said a cost-benefit analysis done during CIP budgeting projects a net positive by year eight and that staff will return with implementation details and possible warranty/maintenance options.