Guelph-Eramosa council has approved $150,673 for the purchase of three vehicles for its public works department and a wide area mower for its parks and recreation department.
Public works manager Ken Gagnon told council his department’s takeover of water and wastewater services from the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) on Jan. 1 has gone “flawlessly,” with the exception of one thing – water staff is using a public works pick-up truck for transportation.
“This arrangement has left the already resource stretched roads fleet down by one utility vehicle and is very inefficient because it does not allow utilizing the water/wastewater operators in various remote locations of the systems simultaneously,” Gagnon said.
He proposed the township purchase one mini van and one half ton pick-up truck for the water/wastewater staff, and said he received three quotes for each vehicle.
Gary Cooper Chevrolet, the low bidder for both vehicles, at $16,722 for a 2009 Uplander four door van and $17,498 for a Chevy 1500 pick-up with a regular cab and long box.
Gagnon proposed paying for the van through water and wastewater development charges and the truck through the roads equipment reserve.
He also said the township should purchase a new 2008 Chevy C5500 cab and chassis (with plow and dump box) from Gord Anderson Automotive Group in Stratford for $67,389 plus taxes and licencing, to be paid for through the roads equipment reserve.
The new truck would replace a 2002 one ton truck in the plow rotation, as that vehicle generally requires over $10,000 in repairs each year, Gagnon told council.
Councillor Doug Breen said the purchase of two of the vehicles was expected when council voted in favour of taking over water/wastewater services last month.
“Even with these additional costs, we’re still well, well ahead of where we would have been if we had stayed with OCWA,” Breen said.
The rest of council agreed and unanimously approved the purchase of the three vehicles. Councillor Roger Knapp was absent.
Parks and recreation manager Robin Milne requested the purchase of a new wide area mower to help eliminate the sharing of mowers between the the department’s crews in Rockwood and Marden.
Milne recommended buying a 2007 Jacobsen HR6010 demo unit with 350 hours on it at a cost of $39,900, which is about $10,000 cheaper than a brand new 2009 model.
“We’re extremely happy with it,” he said of the demo unit, which the township had the chance to use last fall. “It’s basically a new unit.”
Milne called the mower “very versatile,” with cut diameters ranging from 62 inches to about 10 feet, 10 inches.
With taxes and extra options, including a windshield, wipers, four-way flashers, and mirrors, the unit comes to $49,064, which Milne suggested be taken from the parks and recreation reserve fund. Finance manager Linda Cheyne said that fund currently has a balance of $54,832.
Council voted unanimously in favour of purchasing the mower.
