Guelph-Eramosa Council pre-approves new snowplow for 2020

BRUCEDALE – Township council has given staff advance approval to spend almost $250,000 on a new snowplow and sander in the 2020 capital budget.

At its Sept. 16 meeting, council received a report from public works director Harry Niemi, who said no bids came in after the prospective purchase was tendered in August.

Instead of re-tendering, staff contacted equipment suppliers directly and can get the single-axle truck from B&I Complete Truck Centre plus the dump-sander-plow equipment from Viking Cives Ltd. for a combined price of $242,905.

“It is critical that we have working equipment that can do the job,” said Mayor Chris White.

“I think it was last year we had two trucks down at the same time at the beginning of a storm.”

Council has authorized Niemi to negotiate with suppliers and issue purchase orders.

The township wants to have the new truck operating for the winter of 2020-21, but with delivery taking up to 10 months from the time of order, it would not be ready if staff waited for the regular 2020 budget process.

The truck being replaced is a 2008 model, which could be auctioned off for an estimated $15,000 once the new truck is in service.

The public works department’s policy is to replace single-axle trucks every 10 years, to avoid increasing maintenance costs, but this replacement has been delayed two years to conserve reserve funds.

No direct tax impact

Because it is being funded from a reserve that includes $250,000 designated for the replacement, there will be no direct impact on property taxes.