City works crews will be anything but down in the dumps after City of Powell River Council voted to purchase two new trucks.
At the Thursday, February 19, council meeting, councillors unanimously supported a recommendation for the purchase of two Freightliner dump trucks supplied by Bailey Western Star for a price not to exceed $385,000 inclusive of applicable taxes, fees, contingencies and trade-in, to be funded by the 2014 equipment reserve fund.
The Bailey Western Star quote was not the lowest, but was the second lowest bid. According to a report from Tor Birtig, director of infrastructure, city staff reviewed the four proposals received and determined an award recommendation based on a decision matrix. The matrix compared the units in several categories including price, engine, transmission, controls, sander, warranty, service and options. The highest score based on the matrix criteria was the Freightliner. The bid from Bailey Western Star met all of the specifications outlined in the proposal.
The trucks are used for various jobs within the city including: sanding and salting of roads; plowing of snow; supply of gravel and sand for construction and maintenance projects and transportation of materials and supplies to work sites.
The existing dump trucks that are being replaced are more than 12 years old. The truck frames, sanders and hydraulics are in poor condition, resulting in escalating maintenance costs in recent years. The replacement schedule for this type of equipment is typical for the industry, according to Birtig.
The city budgeted $400,000 in 2014 for the replacement of the two dump trucks, including belly plows and spreaders. It is estimated that the new trucks will have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years, similar to the current units.
