Sometimes you just need to replace something that was worn
out. This is the case with the equipment
box on the sewer truck. This box is on
its third chassis and is literally falling apart. We had holes rusted through that had been
patched with various materials but continued to lose some tools along the road
as the openings enlarge. It was time to
get a new utility equipment box.
In thinking about this, a broader picture emerged. The existing sewer truck is in good shape, a
2008 vehicle with only about 45,000 miles on it. We have a 2000 one-ton truck that was
replaced a couple of years ago but was kept as a backup vehicle. It has a plow and dump box installed on
it. It was felt it would be good to
recycle the dump box and plow equipment sending the chassis down the road from
this 2000 truck. With the purchase of a
new vehicle the utility equipment box could be installed on a new vehicle. The 2008 vehicle, with the utility equipment
box removed, would be a good candidate for the dump box and plow.
So the plan that emerged is a new sewer truck will be
purchased along with a utility equipment box, including a crane for removing
sewer lift pumps. The existing sewer
truck has a utility equipment box which will be scraped and
recycled. The truck and chassis will be
reused with the dump box and plow installed from the 2000 truck. The 2000 truck and chassis will be sold. This effort would be undertaken by the public
works crew. The plan could change if the
economies of making the switch and sale of 2000 truck would carry a better price
with some of the equipment remaining. This
has to be weighed against the purchase of new equipment for the 2008
chassis.
In any event the purchase of a new truck and utility
equipment box was approved. The price
was obtained through state bidding. The
truck is a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 for $28,915.28.
The utility equipment box comes to $35,562 making the total cost
$64,477.28. Funds for purchase of this
equipment come out of the sewer fund.
$68,000 was budgeted for this purpose.
