City of Lawrence
Utilities Department
MEMORANDUM
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TO: |
David L. Corliss – City Manager Cynthia Wagner - Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard - Assistant City Manager |
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FROM: |
Bob Brower – Line Maintenance |
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CC: |
Dave Wagner – Director of Utilities Philip Ciesielski – Asst. Director of Utilities Mike Lawless – Asst. Director of Utilities Beth Frailey Krishtalka – Assistant to Director Mark Hegeman – Utilities Operations Superintendent |
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Date: |
August 6, 2012 |
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RE: |
August
14, 2012 Agenda Item - Request approval to replace the |
Please include the following item on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the August 14, 2012 meeting:
Request approval to replace the Camel Combination Jetter/Vacuum Truck
Description:
The Department of Utilities currently owns and operates a 2003 Super Products Camel Combination Jetter/Vacuum truck. The camel truck is a critical piece of equipment for the department as well as the service that the department provides for other city departments. Within the department the camel is routinely used to clean and maintain sanitary sewer mains and manholes by vacuuming out debris to prevent blockages and subsequent sanitary sewer overflows. Other department uses include vacuuming out lift station wet wells and wastewater and water treatment plant basins as needed. During power outages, the camel truck is necessary to remove wastewater from lift stations that would otherwise be pumped away and thus preventing sanitary sewer overflows from these wet wells. The department provides services to public works and contractors by using the jetter/vacuum to bore a hole into the earth to locate buried infrastructure that would otherwise require digging and a much larger area disturbed. It has also been called upon by the fire department to vacuum chemicals, assist with a trench rescue, and stand by for emergencies such as with Magnagro.
Status:
Due to frequent daily use, the current camel truck’s maintenance and down time has progressively escalated both in unusable time and severity of the breakdowns, which has impacted its reliability. For example, it has most recently been unusable for 4 weeks due to a mechanical problem.
Schedule:
The department is requesting approval to replace the camel truck prior to September 1 because we would cooperatively order this truck through the Houston-Galveston Contract, which closes and does not become available again until the end of the year. Manufacturers also stop taking orders until 2013 for new chassis at around September 1. A 2013 order will result in an expected 15-20% increase in price due to the projected increase in the price of iron.
Project Funding:
Replacement of the camel truck will be funded out of the 2012 Utilities Operations and Maintenance budget. The expected trade-in value is approximately $75,000 with a total cost for the new truck, including the trade-in, of approximately $300,000 to $325,000.
Action Request:
Request approval to replace the Camel Combination Jetter/Vacuum Truck.
Thank you for your assistance. Please advise if you have any questions.