Roselle debates replacing aging vacuum/jetting truck; staff told to seek better pricing and return with options

Roselle public-works staff presented a proposal Oct. 13 to replace the village’s vacuum/jetting unit — critical equipment used for hydro excavation, sewer and storm-pipe jetting and emergency water-main work. Public Works Director Karen Young said the current unit, purchased in 2017, has required roughly $63,000 in repairs over recent years, has been out of service for extended periods and was originally scheduled for replacement in 2029 under a 12-year cycle.

Young told trustees staff conducted hands-on evaluations of three vendors and ranked two Vactor-based options highest. She described benefits of the recommended Western Star/Vactor unit: onboard diagnostics for field troubleshooting, a fan-type blower (less sensitive to debris than a positive-displacement blower), and an on-board decant system that allows crews to discharge water on-site without returning to dump spoils. The staff-recommended Western Star/Vactor option was quoted at approximately $605,682 (including a post-packet pricing increase of roughly $6,500). Young said a second Vactor chassis (Freightliner) was less expensive but unavailable until approximately Q1 (potentially April) and that a lower-ranked vendor had a positive-displacement blower with higher maintenance risk.

Trustees probed trade-in-value variability (noting a roughly $50,000–$150,000 range reported by vendors), frequency of use and sharing options with neighboring communities. Young said the unit is used for both emergency responses (water-main breaks, sanitary-sewer backups) and day-to-day jetting/maintenance such as cleaning grease build-up, and that rentals run roughly $4,700 per week (about $14,000 per month) and are not guaranteed to be available when needed.

Several trustees expressed competing priorities: some favored purchasing the available unit now to avoid rental expenses during outages, while others preferred waiting for the less expensive Freightliner chassis or pressing vendors for better trade-in values. Trustee discussion included the possibility of short-term rental to bridge any availability gap, but staff warned rentals had not been available during some past emergencies.

Instead of making a final purchase authorization, trustees asked staff to return with updated pricing and availability after further vendor negotiation and to explore any cost-reduction opportunities. Trustee consensus favored continuing negotiations; one trustee indicated willingness to accept an immediately available option if vendor pricing could not be improved.

Ending: No purchase contract was approved; staff were directed to re-engage vendors, seek improved pricing/trade-in terms and supply a final recommendation at a future board meeting.