Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Berkley council approves purchase of new street sweeper to replace 2016 unit
Summary
Council approved a budgeted purchase of a replacement street sweeper after staff said the existing 2016 unit has about 10,000 hours and rising repair costs; the new unit will be funded from the major-roads account and the city expects to sell the old machine as surplus.
The Berkley City Council on Feb. 24 approved motion M0425 to buy a replacement street sweeper, citing heavy service hours on the current 2016 Pelican sweeper and rising repair costs.
Deputy City Manager and Public Works Director Sean Young told council the 2016 Pelican sweeper has roughly 10,000 hours on it and that Berkley sweeps weekly in many neighborhoods, more frequently than many peer cities. Young said frequent sweeping reduces debris entering the combined sewer system and saves time and money that would otherwise be spent cleaning catch basins and sewers.
Reason for purchase and bids Public Works staff evaluated multiple makes and models and recommended the Nescon (Nescon LLC of Mesa, Arizona) unit as the best fit for the city's heavy-duty mainline sweeping needs. During discussion Young said the low bid was about $360,000 and the high bid about $398,000, a spread of roughly $40,000; the vendor claims 6'8 weeks for delivery but staff noted that actual lead times can vary.
Young said the city also recently acquired a lighter-duty Badger sweeper (02/2023) for tight areas; the new mainline unit will supplement that fleet and allow one unit to be taken out of service without resorting to expensive monthly rentals (Young said prior rentals ran about $10,000'$12,000 per month when the city was short a sweeper).
Budget and resale Council asked whether the purchase would force delays to other projects. Young said the sweeper purchase will be funded from the major-roads account and will not postpone planned projects; the city originally budgeted $325,000 for equipment this year and adjusted funding by deferring purchase of an asphalt milling attachment. Staff also said they expect to sell the existing Pelican as surplus; resale estimates discussed were roughly $65,000'$85,000 but staff did not guarantee a price.
Training and operations Young described two weeks of operator training conducted by the vendor during the equipment demo; operators and mechanics preferred the Nescon unit for serviceability and operator ease. Young said maintenance parts for the 2016 unit totaled roughly $40,000 over two years (parts only, not labor).
Council action and vote Council Member Hannan moved approval; Council Member Baker seconded. Roll call was held; the motion passed. (Transcript roll-call excerpt includes Patterson: No; Vilani: Yes; Baker: Yes; Black: Yes; Gavin: Yes; Dean: Yes.)
Why it matters The purchase responds to an aging, high-hour sweeper and aims to reduce costly rentals and to maintain routine street cleaning that keeps debris out of the sewer system. The new mainline unit is intended to preserve service continuity and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Next steps Staff will finalize purchase and coordinate delivery, training and surplus sale of the old Pelican; surplus items will be listed for public auction.
