BARRHEAD - Snow removal is an expensive service for a municipality to provide. If one has any doubts, all they have to do is look at the price tag of equipping three new tandem axle trucks for snowplow/sander and gravel duty.
On March 5, County of Barrhead councillors purchased three Western Star 47 SB truck chassis from Western Star North for $735,077. Councillors also approved the purchase and installation of two of the chassis of snowplow kits from Viking Cives at $302,222, the installation of an oil tank from Westlock's Wabash Manufacturing at the cost of $115,435 for one of the first two chassis, and the rigging of the third new chassis with a truck box and triaxle pup from Hayworth Equipment and Sales at the cost of $123,980.
As part of the group of motions, councillors will dispose of their counterparts along with their associated snowplow attachments upon the arrival of two fully outfitted new units, except for the unit the municipality currently uses for its oiling and dust control program.
The total for the purchases and installations came close to $1.3 million, with funding coming from the capital reserve.
County manager Debbie Oyarzun explained that due to the suspected wait times for vehicles (anywhere from 18 to 36 months), public works opted in January 2023 to tender the three vehicles at once. One of the trucks in the multi-year capital plan was scheduled to be added sometime in 2024, while the other two were scheduled to be added in 2025.
In February 2023, the municipality received bids from four different suppliers. Based on the county's criteria, she said the council directed administration to provide Western Star North with a letter of intent to purchase the three vehicles, with the intention that they would arrive later.
Oyarzun said that, while waiting for the vehicles' arrival, public works staff priced out everything needed for the vehicles to perform the duties required.
Infrastructure director Ken Hove added that the municipality received two bids to outfit the truck chassis with the necessary snowplow equipment: Viking Cives at $164,609 and Industrial Machine Inc. (IMI) at $124,750. He also added that public works wanted to install an oil tank option for one of the new snowplow/sander units, which would augment the county's road oiling and dust control programs.
Hove said the IMI quote was "very open-ended," noting that costs would have quickly escalated.
"The Viking Cives uses Canadian products, which are much more available than U.S. products," he said.
Hove added that having both snowplow units use the Viking Cives setup is also an advantage for the public works shop mechanics and the units' operators, saying both trucks would utilize the same hydraulic and electronic systems.
For setting up one of the chassis for the gravel truck, Hove said public works believed the quality of the two bidders' work and equipment, the previously mentioned Viking Cives, with a bid of $159,712, and Hayworth, with a bid of $123,980, were equal, opting to go with the latter due to price as well as familiarity.
He said that public works had yet to budget for installing the oil tank on one of the new trucks.
"But now that we know our oil program is going to move ahead, at least somewhat, we should have a good unit," Hove said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
