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Council Approves Purchase of Vac Truck to Bolster Storm‑drain Cleaning; Staff to Run In‑house Program
Summary
After reviewing bids and long‑term costs, Highland City Council approved buying a vac truck to clean deep storm-drain sumps and run an in‑house stormwater maintenance program, authorizing up to $620,000 with $480,000 drawn from fund balance.
Public Works staff told council the city's sump‑style storm system includes deep, hard‑to‑reach sumps that are expensive to clean. Hiring contractors for a three‑year schedule yielded widely varying bids (lowest $422,000), while the city’s analysis found purchasing a vac truck and staffing an in‑house program would be more cost‑effective over time.
Staff described the vac‑truck advantages—longer hoses, a boom to reach 12–25 foot deep sumps, integrated vacuum and jetting, and the ability to handle emergency flood response—and noted an expected useful life of roughly 25 years with annual maintenance estimates of about $10,000.
Council discussed storage, GPS/trackers, warranty length and resale value; staff said the truck would be housed in the Public Works shop behind locked gates and would be equipped with trackers. Councilmember Rice moved that staff proceed with the in‑house storm‑drain cleaning plan and approve the purchase of a vac truck in an amount not to exceed $620,000 (GL 54‑40‑59), $480,000 of which would be included in a year‑end budget adjustment using fund balance. The motion passed 5–0.
Council directed staff to return with details about warranty terms and a maintenance plan and to coordinate staffing and housing logistics.
