4.6. SR 10-12-1998~ity of
ver
MEMORANDUM
Item//4.6.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor & City Counci~x
Pat Klaers, City Admi~rator
October 12, 1998
Street Department Trucks
Attached for your information is a memo from Phil Hals regarding his plan
for obtaining street trucks in 1999 and 2000. Phil would like to move
forward with the bidding of two vehicles, one for 1999 and one for 2000. The
1999 vehicle would be a select-shift transmission and the 2000 vehicle would
be an automatic transmission. There is an "escape clause" in the bid for the
second truck, meaning that the city is not obligated to purchase the truck
and may cancel the order at any time before delivery. Our funding source for
the second truck to be delivered in 2000 is anticipated to be equipment
certificates. The 1999 vehicle is programmed for equipment certificates and
has been reviewed by the City Council. On the positive side of things, this
1999 vehicle may be less than what was estimated when the budget was
reviewed on September 4, 1998.
Recommendation
Lori and I have discussed this request and concur with Phil's
recommendation to go out for bids for a select-shift transmission vehicle for
1999 and an automatic transmission vehicle for the year 2000.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
.~y of
River
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Patrick D. Klaers, City Administrator
Phil Hals, Street/Park Superintend en~ ..~
October 1, 1998
Truck Purchase
Speaking on behalf of the Street Department, we are excited about the opportunity to
purchase a new truck, but our enthusiasm was dampened when we started talking
delivery dates with truck dealers. For example, a truck ordered today with an automatic
transmission has a delivery of 300 to 330 days and the equipment installation adds an
additional 60 days.
We have demonstrated a truck with a select-shift transmission, which is a compromise
between a manual and an automatic transmission. It costs less to purchase and cuts the
delivery time to 100 days. The equipment installation remains at 60 days. We feel that
this transmission option could service us well and is worth buying.
Our projected equipment needs indicate the need for four trucks in the next five years, so
I would ask that we advertise for bids this fall for two trucks, one with the select-shift
transmission for early spring delivery and one with an automatic transmission for
delivery in January of 2000. The bid documents can be structured so that the City has an
"escape clause" for the second truck for some unforeseen event makes it impossible for
us to take delivery. Bidding two units now would also assure that we would have two
like units with like specifications.
In an ideal world, we would like to plow snow with the new truck in January or February
of 1999, but that does not seem possible. The snowplowing time for the tandem trucks
will only amount to about 20 percent of the total usage. We want to take delivery before
the 1999 construction season, so we can '¥etire" one of our twenty-year-old trucks.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 ° TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425