by Abbey E. Keith

The city’s Department of Public Works purchased 14 new vehicles this year to augment the city’s fleet, bringing the total number of vehicles stationed at the DPW yard to that are used to service and maintain the city to 80.

"These trucks were purchased to allow the city to perform functions that they did not have the proper equipment to perform before, such as more efficient snow removal and the trucking out of our own cement top and gravel debris, and also for the replacing of outdated equipment," said Stanley Koty, the city’s commissioner of public works.

The new vehicles were purchased to replace those that were outdated, in need of constant repair, or unnecessary.

The 14 new members of the fleet were purchased from a state bid list and include two 10-wheelers, two 6-wheelers, two street sweepers, two small sized garbage trucks, four 1-ton trucks, one loader, and one compressor truck used by the water department, he said.

"All of the vehicle purchases cost 1.1 million dollars, which includes extra equipment like snow blades," said Koty.

"There are four new trucks in the highway department and they can do a lot.  We use them as dump trucks and plows,” said Edward J. Halloran, who has been a DPW employee for 13 years.

“There is a spare tire in the back that will flip up to allow sand to flow out.  We also use them as movers at the DPW lot.  Over the winter, the main roads were tough.  The new trucks take up more width than the older ones, and they get the job done a lot easier and more efficiently, and that’s really what we needed," he said.

"The other sweepers were about 10-years-old. After about five or six years they should be replaced. The old ones were breaking down more than we could keep up with them and the new ones do a good job," said Halloran, who drives the new ELG Pelican Street Sweeper.

The new Pelicans have a large number of fittings placed around the side of the truck, which allows for self-greasing.  A reservoir that is located in the back of the truck holds the oil, he said.

"We fill the reservoir about every two weeks.  The lines run down to the fillings and every few minutes it will shoot oil out to the fittings," said Halloran.

Another advantage of this new model is the increase in the amount of water it can hold. The new model holds approximately 100 gallons of water, about 20 gallons more than a standard sweeper and any of the ones previously owned by the DPW.  The new model has two brooms, while one of the sweepers that was replaced had only one, he said.

While the street sweepers are highly specialized, the other trucks purchased this year are multi-purposed, he said.

The six and 10 wheelers, all International brand trucks, have what are called Muni-bodies, which are easily adaptable to perform a variety of tasks, he said.

“The trucks can be used for any purpose all year round. For example if you have a snowstorm you can virtually prepare for plowing in a couple of minutes and if you want the next day you can haul debris or concrete. They are very versatile in how quickly you can switch them over for another function,” said Michael D. Browne, the DPW fleet manager.

The two new garbage trucks are Chevy 4500’s with Wayne packer bodies, he said.

“We always had two for picking up the litter barrels around the city, but for the past few years we only had one because the engine on the other seized,” he said.

“We now have two brand new packers and we were able to keep the older one as a spare. We’ve increased the capacity from six yards to eight yards so they do not have to go to the dump as often,” said Browne.

The new compressor truck, a one-ton Chevy 3500 that was purchased for the water department, is also adaptable for differing functions, he said.

“The compressor truck has a flat body which allows us to have an air compressor, jack hammer and tools, and if needed, we can put a plow on it,” said Browne.  “The new loader, a Volvo L60E, can be used for everything from loading salt during the winter to the debris on the road when sidewalks are replaced.” 

In February, the DPW administration auctioned off unused vehicles and equipment, including trucks, plows, sanders, and air compressor’s, as well as four sport utility vehicles that had been purchased by the previous mayor and DPW administration.  The 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, 2000 Ford Explorer XLT, 2002 Chevrolet Trail Blazer LS, and 2003 Chevrolet Trail Blazer were not capable of performing city maintenance tasks and were thereby deemed unnecessary. 

Other equipment was sold because it was outdated or in continual need of repair. The Ingersoll Rand 150 Air Compressor, for instance, was made as early as the late 1960s.  The vehicles and equipment sold at the auction for a total of $49, 470.