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Council OKs street department purchases

$321,000 approved for front-end loader, street sweeper

By Bert Lehman


The Clintonville City Council approved the $321,686 purchase of a front-end loader and street sweeper for the Clintonville Streets Department.

Public Works Director Kray Brown requested the Clintonville Streets Committee recommend the approval of the equipment purchases on Sept. 6.

When discussing the street sweeper, Brown told the committee that if the city waits until 2019 to make the purchase, then it would be 2020 before the city would receive the street sweeper due to a 10-month wait once it is ordered.

He added that the city could also expect a 5 to 6 percent increase in the cost if the purchase is not made this year.

Brown presented several quotes and recommended purchasing a new street sweeper that cost $255,886.

He acknowledged that the sweeper he recommended was more expensive than others, but he felt it was the only one that had a lifespan of more than 10 years.

Brown also told the committee $200,000 is set aside in the city’s 2019 Capital Improvement Projects budget for a new street sweeper.

With the city needing to come up with an additional $55,000 to cover the purchase, Clintonville City Administrator Sharon Eveland stated at the September meeting, “Without a significant grant, I just don’t see the city having the ability to have that kind of funds.”

Those in attendance discussed a Rural Development grant and a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant as possible avenues of funding to pursue.

Brown also told the committee the city has $40,000 in the 2019 Capital Improvement Projects budget to replace the city’s skid steer.

Instead of purchasing another skid steer, Brown recommended the city purchase a heavy-duty front-end loader for $65,800.
Committee members again expressed concerns about the cost of the front-end loader being more than what is set aside in the 2019 Capital Improvement Projects budget.

The streets committee revisited the purchases at its October meeting and recommended sending the topic to the city’s finance committee.

When presenting the equipment purchases to the finance committee on Oct. 8, committee member Jim Supanich explained why the Streets Department wants to replace the skid steer with a front-end loader.

“It’s a bigger vehicle,” Supanich said. “It is heavy duty and a more versatile type of vehicle. And it’s basically a larger capacity and would be used for snow removal.”

He added that if the front-end loader purchase were approved, the city’s current skid steer and a 1968 Ford 3000 tractor would eventually be recommended to be sold as surplus.

Brown told the committee that the front-end loader the city is interested in purchasing is a demo unit and would have to be purchased in 2018.

Committee member Brad Rokus recommended the committee remove an item from the 2019 Capital Improvement Projects budget before approving the purchase of the front-end loader.

The finance committee eventually recommended to the city council that the purchase of a $65,800 front-end loader be approved contingent upon removing a loader with a bucket plow wing from the city’s 2020 Capital Improvement Projects budget.

When discussing the street sweeper purchase, Supanich told the finance committee that the streets committee was seeking approval of 10 percent of the purchase price of $255,886 be made to guarantee the price.

The city would be refunded the 10 percent payment if the city cancelled the order within six months of placing the order.

Supanich also told the committee that the city was in the process of applying for a Rural Development grant that would cover $50,000 of the cost of the street sweeper.

He added that the city missed the deadline to apply for a DNR grant.

The committee recommended to the city council that it approve paying 10 percent of the street sweeper cost at this time, contingent upon the city being awarded a $50,000 Rural Development grant.

If the city does not receive the grant, it can cancel the order and have the 10 percent refunded to the city.

The city council approved both purchase recommendations at the Oct. 9 city council meeting.

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