Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Equipment Drainage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves budget ordinance to pursue purchase of second vacuum truck for drainage work
Summary
Council introduced and approved a budget amendment to authorize bidding for a second vac truck (vac-o truck) to improve drainage cleanout capacity; delivery is estimated up to 10 months and staff will seek used/lease options as interim steps.
The council opened a public hearing and later approved a special ordinance to amend the budget to allow purchase and bidding for an additional vac truck intended primarily for drainage cleanouts.
Mayor (unnamed in transcript) explained the city currently has one vac truck and said having a second unit dedicated to public works would double cleaning capacity. “If we had two that were dedicated to public works, then we could make twice as fast,” the mayor said. He said the city will put the purchase out to bid and that prices the staff had seen ranged near $580,000–$690,000; the mayor described budgeting at roughly $600,000 to allow room in the estimate. The mayor emphasized a preference for a single-engine VACO brand unit with metal tanks, which has local service support.
Councilman Warren White questioned earlier budget figures and said, “Last meeting, we said 500,000. You just said 600,000.” The mayor replied that bids will determine final cost but that drainage funds are available and authority to advertise is sought. Delivery time discussed in the meeting was approximately 10 months; staff said they are also researching used units or lease options to bridge the gap.
Council members discussed maintenance and brand selection (VACO favored for local service), and confirmed the item would be put out to bid. The council voted to approve the ordinance to proceed with procurement and budgeting for the purchase.
Ending: The council authorized staff to advertise for bids and to return with bid results; staff will report back on lease or used-equipment options if available before delivery timelines for a new truck.
Note: The transcript records a public hearing, discussion and council vote by machine; specific tally counts were not stated on the record.
