|
|
|
La Grange may be getting a new street cleaner but the decision to purchase the $130,000-plus vehicle was not exactly a clean sweep by the village board.
The board approved by a 6-0 vote waiving competitive bids to replace the 2005 Pelican sweeper when it met Nov. 8, but not before Trustee Mark Kuchler requested it be moved from the omnibus agenda for discussion. The purchase price of the Pelican sweeper is $134,456.
Kuchler said he was not convinced the machine did much to keep the streets clean.
“I don’t really understand the purpose of a street sweeper,” he said. “I understand the need in the fall, with the leaves. But the street doesn’t really look any cleaner to me.”
Public Works Director Ryan Gillingham said the sweeper does indeed pick up a lot of debris, especially when used in conjunction with the street blowers workers use in the downtown business district to move debris into the streets for the street sweeper to pick up.
“We are constantly hauling away material the sweeper picks up,” Gillingham said.
Village Manager Robert Pilipisizyn said the machine’s other important purpose was to keep street and leaf debris from falling through sewer grates and getting into the sewer system.
Streets in the central business district are generally swept three times a week, while residential streets are swept every two weeks.
Kuchler asked if public works could change the schedule to see if there’s much difference.
“I’ve never had a resident say, ‘I really appreciate that the street sweeper comes down the street,’” he said.
He also suggested an alternative to purchasing a replacement machine.
“To me, is seems we should looking at leasing a street sweeper in the fall,” he said. “Do we really need it to the extent we are using it?”
Trustee William Holder said there’s a big difference between streets that are swept and those that are not.
“There are cigarettes, tissues — in certain areas more than others. I can’t tell you how many times business owners have thanked me,” he said. “Honestly, it does make a difference. I’m glad to see it. I think it speaks to how highly we care about our village.”
Gillingham said the village’s sweeper had 6,677 hours of operation logged and the mechanical components wear out quickly. The village’s mechanic had determined several major repairs were required to keep the machine operational.
Pilipisizyn said replacement of the sweeper would come out of the village’s equipment replacement fund. Cost was not to exceed $150,000.
La Grange may be getting a new street cleaner but the decision to purchase the $130,000-plus vehicle was not exactly a clean sweep by the village board.
The board approved by a 6-0 vote waiving competitive bids to replace the 2005 Pelican sweeper when it met Nov. 8, but not before Trustee Mark Kuchler requested it be moved from the omnibus agenda for discussion. The purchase price of the Pelican sweeper is $134,456.
Kuchler said he was not convinced the machine did much to keep the streets clean.
“I don’t really understand the purpose of a street sweeper,” he said. “I understand the need in the fall, with the leaves. But the street doesn’t really look any cleaner to me.”
Public Works Director Ryan Gillingham said the sweeper does indeed pick up a lot of debris, especially when used in conjunction with the street blowers workers use in the downtown business district to move debris into the streets for the street sweeper to pick up.
“We are constantly hauling away material the sweeper picks up,” Gillingham said.
Village Manager Robert Pilipisizyn said the machine’s other important purpose was to keep street and leaf debris from falling through sewer grates and getting into the sewer system.
Streets in the central business district are generally swept three times a week, while residential streets are swept every two weeks.
Kuchler asked if public works could change the schedule to see if there’s much difference.
“I’ve never had a resident say, ‘I really appreciate that the street sweeper comes down the street,’” he said.
He also suggested an alternative to purchasing a replacement machine.
“To me, is seems we should looking at leasing a street sweeper in the fall,” he said. “Do we really need it to the extent we are using it?”
Trustee William Holder said there’s a big difference between streets that are swept and those that are not.
“There are cigarettes, tissues — in certain areas more than others. I can’t tell you how many times business owners have thanked me,” he said. “Honestly, it does make a difference. I’m glad to see it. I think it speaks to how highly we care about our village.”
Gillingham said the village’s sweeper had 6,677 hours of operation logged and the mechanical components wear out quickly. The village’s mechanic had determined several major repairs were required to keep the machine operational.
Pilipisizyn said replacement of the sweeper would come out of the village’s equipment replacement fund. Cost was not to exceed $150,000.
