BRATTLEBORO — The Selectboard unanimously approved two new purchases for the Department of Public Works at the Aug. 1 regular Board meeting. Both are included in the Fiscal Year 2017-18 highway capital budgets.
DPW Water and Highway Superintendent Hannah Tyler told Board members the town's current street sweeper “has died.” The circa-2005 vehicle has “been in the shop many times and it's an optimal time to replace it,” she said.
Town Manager Peter B. Elwell noted town staff looked into contracted street sweeping, but found it was not a cost-effective alternative.
Street sweeping is vital to the DPW, said Tyler, who explained it keeps sediment and trash out of storm drains, and keeps the roads' edges clean, making travel safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The Selectboard accepted the DPW's recommendation to award the bid to Delurey Sales and Service in North Hoosick, N.Y., for a new sweeper, at a cost of $259,385, which includes a $20,000 trade-in for the old sweeper. The budgeted amount for this item is $265,000.
The Selectboard also took the DPW's suggestion to award the bid for a new dump truck to Burlington's Goss Dodge Chrysler for an amount of $115,425. Although that bid was $425 over budget, the two new vehicles combined came in under budget.
Tyler explained that the new dump truck replaces the town's 1-ton dump truck with something “a little bit bigger.” This will help road crews with snowplowing, especially on gravel roads.
That task, she said, “[is] a little too much” for the one-ton truck and pickup trucks, and “we found we'd have to send the grader out.”
Elwell pointed out the new truck is more fuel efficient than the one-ton truck and “more gentle on the environment” than sending out the grader during snow storms.
Tyler noted the new dump truck comes complete with snow plow and dump body.