Report Prepared by: Dan Arnold, Public Works Manager - Operations
Title
SUBJECT: Request for Supplemental Appropriation from the Capital Fleet Replacement Fund to Purchase a New Leaf\Chipper Truck
REPORT IN BRIEF
Staff is requesting an appropriation from the Fleet Replacement fund 674 not to exceed $200,000.00 prior to opening the bidding process for the purchase of one new specialized leaf\chipper truck.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Appropriating funds from the Capital Fleet Replacement fund 674 not to exceed $200,000.00 to purchase a new Leaf /Chipper truck, and;
B. Authorizing the City’s Interim Finance Director to make the appropriate budget transfers.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by (identify); or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by (identify specific findings and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
Merced City Charter, Section 200
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Operational Sustainability
DISCUSSION
The Fleet Services Division of Public Works makes every attempt to schedule the purchase of vehicles during the normal budget cycle, However, due to the lead time associated with final delivery of this type of equipment and trying to coincide the delivery with the start of the 2017 leaf season, staff is requesting this appropriation for purchase outside of the fiscal budget process.
For many years the City of Merced has been using vacuum trucks to remove leaves from City streets during leaf season. By design, the City’s older trucks are only able to be used during a short three-month period and would sit for the rest of the year. The purchase of a combination leaf/chipper truck will be a more efficient use of City resources as this dual-purpose vehicle can be used year around. The equipment identified by staff is capable of functioning as a chipper truck during the bulk of the year and then be used as a vacuum truck during the leaf season when tree-trimming season concludes. The City purchased a similar truck in fiscal year 15/16 budget. This equipment was used during the 2016 leaf season with great success. A new leaf truck would be beneficial for the 2017 leaf season. Since it takes approximately five to six months to receive a new truck, allocation of funds are needed now in order to receive a new truck by the fall of 2017. The 2017 leaf season begins November 15, 2017.
This is a specialty vehicle, no local vendors can provide. This truck is a right hand drive vehicle with a joystick controller, which remotely operates a large vacuum hose mounted to a hydraulic arm capable of maneuvering side-to-side making it much easier to vacuum large leaf piles and only requires a single operator (see Attachment 1). In contrast, the City’s older truck uses a vacuum hose mounted on the back of the vehicle and requires a second person to walk behind the truck. This requires a worker to maneuver the hose back and forth manually. The new truck greatly enhances efficiencies with a single operator and without the need for an additional staff member to manually push a large heavy hose from side to side.
This new truck would be replacing an old inefficient, air-polluting vehicle E-1034, an eleven-year-old Tier I vehicle with a new Tier IV final, clean air vehicle. As vacuum trucks are equipped with two engines, one to operate the chassis and one to run the vacuum, we will be replacing two polluting engines with two clean air engines, which will double our emission savings. The equipment will meet the California Air Resources Board Tier IV final clean air vehicle pollution rating.
Staff is requesting the use of replacement funds to purchase the new vehicle. An open bid will be conducted for the final purchase of the truck once funds are approved.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Sufficient funds exist within the Fleet Capital Replacement Fund for this purchase. Staff requests an appropriation not to exceed $200,000.00 from the Fleet Capital Replacement Fund/Account 674-1103-633.63-00 for the purchase of a new leaf/chipper truck. No impact to existing funds or current fiscal year budget anticipated.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Attachment 1 - Equipment Brochure