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Waukesha City Utility Commission approves equipment purchases, blanket orders and radio tower design
Summary
The Waukesha City Utility Commission on Dec. 19 approved several budgeted purchases including a $163,000 dump truck, standby generators (up to $191,500), $319,000 in PLC replacements, $86,000 for radio-tower design and 2025 blanket purchase orders totaling about $10.5 million.
The Waukesha City Utility Commission on Dec. 19 approved a series of budgeted capital purchases and blanket purchase orders intended to update aging equipment and improve system communications.
Kelly, a utility staff member, told commissioners the panel should approve purchase of a 2024 Freightliner tandem dump truck at $163,000 to replace a 2013 unit and to keep body types consistent across the fleet. "Total's a 163,000," Kelly said. The commission approved the motion by voice vote.
On a separate motion, commissioners approved up to $191,500 for stationary, natural-gas standby generators at the Woodridge and Stardust booster stations. Kelly said the Woodridge unit, installed in 1993, is irreparable; the portable alternative would have cost about $205,000 and required more labor when deployed, she said.
Also approved was a $319,000 contract to replace obsolete programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used by the utility's SCADA system. Kelly described the work as "phase 2 of 3" to bring PLCs and communications up to current standards; staff noted a 4-to-6-month lead time for the equipment.
The commission authorized $86,000 to Energetics for design, permitting and related work to install a radio tower adjacent to the Salesville Booster Station (Emergency Well 8). Kelly said the new radios require better line-of-sight and recommended an approximately 86-foot lattice tower sited next to the reservoir; commissioners asked about permitting and placement.
Finally, commissioners approved the utility's 2025 blanket purchase orders, a procedural package that preauthorizes recurring purchases from frequent vendors. Staff cited a total in the low $10.5 million range (the transcript lists $10,537,584 in one place and $10,535,500 in another). The commission approved the blanket orders by voice vote.
The actions were described by staff as budgeted items or consistent with earlier budget approvals. Several approvals drew no substantive opposition.
Next steps for the approved items include procurement, permitting where required and scheduled installations in 2025; staff said the dump truck is expected to arrive in 2025 and PLC replacements have a multi-month lead time.
