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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />C^n^^o^r h/ipeTING <br />.mi ^4 <br />DATE: July 20,2000 <br />ITEM NO: ^ <br />Department Approval: <br />Name Ron Moorse <br />Title City Administrator <br />Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: <br />City Administrator’s <br />Report <br />Item Description: Purchase of Sewer Vacuum Truck to Replace Sewer Jet Rodding Truck <br />Background <br />The City currently has a 1975 sewer jet rodding truck used to clean sewer lines. This truck is in poor <br />mechanical condition, and replacement parts for the jet rodding equipment are becoming increasingly <br />difficult to find. Also, the existing jet rodding equipment does not have any method to remove <br />debris from the sewer system. The debris is either flushed downstream or manually removed by <br />personnel entering manholes and lift stations, which is hazardous and time-consuming. <br />To address these problems, staff is recommending replacement of the jet rodding truck with a sewer <br />vacuum truck. The vacuum truck will allow for removal of debris without personnel entering the <br />sewer structures. The new equipment can also be used for trench de-watering during water main and <br />sewer repairs, and for the cleaning of storm sewer facilities. <br />Funding <br />During the year 2000 budget discussions. Council indicated support for the replacement of the City’s <br />sewer jet rodder truck with a sewer vacuum truck at a cost of approximately $250,000. At that time, <br />staff did not include the purchase in the 2000 budget because it wanted to ensure the Sewer Fund <br />reserves were adequate to fund the vacuum truck in addition to other capital needs, including interim <br />sewer capacity expansion for the Highway 12 area. <br />The Highway 12 interim sewer capacity issue is currently being addressed through a lift station <br />project, with a cost of approximately $120,000. The cash balance in the Sewer Fund at year-end <br />1999 was $1,570,000. To-date in 2000, the City has collected $276,000 in sewer connection charges <br />related to new development. Based on the financial status of the Sewer Fund, staff is now <br />recommending moving forward with the purchase of the vacuum truck. <br />Vacuum Truck Alternatives <br />The Public Works staff has, over the past months, reviewed its needs in relation to several types of <br />vacuum trucks. Based on this review process, the Public Works staff has selected the Vactor Series <br />sewer vacuum truck as the preferred alternative. The key factor in this decision was the type of <br />vacuum. The Vactor Series vacuum truck has a positive displacement (PD) blower/pump that is