The Imperial City Council voted 4-0 to approve the purchase of a Tymco Model 600 street sweeper and to authorize a transition from contracted sweeping to in‑house street sweeping operations.
City staff said the purchase would be financed on a six-year lease and paid from Local Transportation Authority (LTA) funds. "If the council sees fit to lease the unit, then our recommendation would be the Tymco," said Dale, a city staff member presenting the item.
The council packet included two quotes for comparable units: about $406,000 for one vendor and about $403,000 for the other. Staff said differences in the six-year financing were driven by in‑house financing from Tymco versus third‑party bank financing offered by the alternate vendor. The staff presentation included an estimated six‑year average maintenance cost of about $18,000 a year (staff said it could be higher, up to roughly $25,000 in a conservative estimate).
Staff compared that to the city's current contract cost for sweeping, which was described in the meeting as about $178,000 per year. "If we own our own street sweeper, we'd have a lot more control," Dale said, adding that a shared or cooperative agreement with neighboring agencies could further reduce net cost.
Peter Stanmer of Republic Services confirmed the company currently uses a Tymco sweeper under contract with the city and said the fleet vehicle in service since 2013 has performed well.
Council members asked about operational details, including how material is dumped. Dale said the recommended Tymco has a lower dump that would require loaders or roll‑offs rather than direct dumping into a dumpster, and that the unit’s lead time is about 10 to 12 months — the current contract for contracted sweeping expires in August. Staff also said Tymco would provide ongoing operator and mechanic training and that the unit carries a one‑year warranty with component warranties described in the packet.
The motion to approve the purchase and authorize the transition to in‑house operations passed 4-0.
Implementation details, including scheduling for taking the contractor off the contract, coordinating roll‑offs or landfill use for collected material, and final financing documents, will follow staff recommendation and future administrative steps.