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Council authorizes loan application for hydro-excavator to inspect lead-service connections
Summary
Council authorized a loan application for roughly $640,000 (0% interest, 7-year term, ~25% principal forgiveness) to buy a hydro-excavator as part of a multi-year lead service-line investigation; the project will be phased and replacement work will follow inspections.
The Laramie City Council voted Jan. 20 to authorize submission of an application to the State Loan and Investment Board for a loan to acquire a hydro-excavator truck that staff said is the least invasive method to inspect connections from customer service lines to mains as part of lead service-line work.
Director Webb told council the loan the city will seek is for approximately $640,000 with a seven-year term; the program offers 0% interest and a minimum of 25% principal forgiveness. Webb said staff expects a multi-year effort, noting "we're gonna have over 8,000 holes we need to put in the ground" to complete the inspection phase and that replacements would be addressed as a subsequent phase.
Councilors asked whether the truck would have additional municipal uses and whether the city has considered cost-sharing or rental arrangements with neighboring jurisdictions. Webb said current fleet vac trucks are heavily used for storm and sanitary sewer work and that the new truck would eventually replace an older vac truck in regular fleet rotation.
Council approved the resolution to apply for the loan; public comment on the item was not recorded during the meeting.
Next steps discussed by staff include finalizing loan application material, confirming project timelines (staff indicated work must be completed by 2037 under program timing), and returning to council for replacement project approvals when specific line replacements are identified.
