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Hibbing commission narrowly approves hydrovac lease to speed lead service-line identification
Summary
After public comment and staff testimony, Hibbing Public Utilities approved a month-to-month lease of a hydrovac truck to pothole and identify lead service lines, citing a Minnesota Department of Health identification mandate and potential for increased state funding once the scope is known; vote was 3–2.
The Hibbing Public Utilities Commission voted 3–2 on April 28 to authorize staff to pursue a month-to-month lease and competitive bidding for a used hydrovac truck to support identification of service-line materials required under the Minnesota Department of Health lead and copper rules.
Staff told the commission they tested a unit on April 1 and that it handled both plant suction and potholing tasks. Paul (staff) said: "We tested that on April 1 ... and we drove straight down the street and pothole 2 holes, all of which took around 30 minutes total to complete the entire process." He said the identification work is required by the Minnesota Department of Health (originally to 2037 and, per staff, accelerated to 2035) and that the utility will likely need to identify many service lines to qualify for larger state funding.
Resident and contractor Nick Bugales had urged caution earlier in the public comment period, telling commissioners that not all hydrovac-type trucks perform both plant suction and potholing and that the operating costs and staffing could be high. "If you buy a hydrovac truck, it's not gonna work for sucking around the plant, and vice versa," Bugales said during public comment.
Why it matters: identifying whether service lines are lead or copper is a precondition for eligibility for larger state replacement funding; staff said without a full scope of identified lines the state will not organize funding. Commissioners discussed in-house vs. contracted approaches and possible monthly lease-to-own arrangements and agreed to a month-by-month trial.
Commission action and vote: the commission approved moving forward with a month-by-month lease and the process to solicit sealed bids for a used hydrovac vehicle. The motion passed 3–2; the minutes record divided support and concern about long-term costs and staffing. Staff said they will return with contract terms and recommended designated crew assignments if the program continues.
