Title
Resolution to Approve the Purchase of a Truck Mounted Rodder from Jack Doheny Supplies, Inc. ($87,500.00)
Memorandum
The attached resolution authorizes the purchase of a Sewer Equipment Company of America model 877 rodder unit mounted on a 2008 Ford F-550 chassis from Jack Doheny Supplies, Inc. for a total purchase price of $87,500.00. A rodder is a truck mounted piece of equipment that is used to clear tree roots and other blockages from sewer lines, much like a plumber would use a “snake” to clear drains in a home but on a larger scale. Our typical procedure for sewer line maintenance is to run the rodder down a section of line to clear tree roots, then flush the line using a combination sewer truck, which is a piece of equipment that combines high pressure jetting water and vacuum removal to clean sewers and finally inspect the line with a remote camera.
Currently, we have one rodder truck. It is a 2000 model year unit with 10,250 hours of use. Over the last two years, this unit has been taken to Fleet Service for maintenance and repairs 36 times of which 39% have been for breakdowns. These breakdowns have taken the unit out of service from as little as four hours to as long as one week.
When this vehicle is out of service, the loss of production makes it impossible to stay current on scheduled preventive maintenance of our underground infrastructure. Cleaning of the sanitary sewer system is programmed or scheduled based on the operational history of a segment of the system. A particular portion of the system or specific pipe is periodically cleaned, with the cleaning period being set at an interval shorter than historical time between backups. Failure to meet the cleaning schedule puts the system at risk for clogging and backing up into homes and other structures.
Jack Doheny Supplies, Inc. originally purchased the vehicle we are requesting to purchase as a demonstration unit that was then to be leased to a private contractor. The contractor ...
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