Richmond Sanitary District approves emergency purchase of replacement CCTV truck after engine failure

The Richmond Sanitary District Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26, 2025 approved an emergency purchase of a new 2026 chassis truck to house the district's RapidView sewer-inspection camera system.

District staff reported the district's current 2012 Ford F-450, selected for retrofit in a prior approval, suffered a catastrophic engine failure while at a dealership in Rochester, Indiana. Service diagnostics found metal and oil shavings in the oil filter and antifreeze present in the transmission. The district's estimate for engine replacement and a transmission flush began at $24,436.97, with an additional $6,500 estimate if the transmission required rebuilding; staff said those figures excluded potential hard parts and could push total repairs above $30,000.

Because of the age of the vehicle and the expected total repair cost, staff obtained a quote from Brown Equipment of Evansville, Indiana, for a new 2026 chassis with a 14-foot cargo box and required upgrades to house the RapidView iBOT camera system. The quoted purchase price was $79,957. Staff said Brown Equipment will perform the vehicle build-out and retrofit at no extra cost beyond the quote because the retrofit work had not begun on the old truck.

Maintenance staff said they had discussed options with Rochester Ford about a possible trade or purchase of the inoperative truck; if the dealership does not buy it staff will attempt to sell it at local auction or otherwise recover value. The district said those next steps would be handled through the law and purchasing departments and by a subsequent board action if a sale or trade requires board approval.

Board members asked about timing and availability. Staff said the new vehicle was on order and estimated delivery and retrofit work could complete by October or November 2025.

The board moved, seconded and approved the emergency purchase as presented.