The Citizen, 2009-06-25, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009.A recommendation to purchase anew truck has been tabled by HuronEast council in light of a report submitted by public works managerBarry Mills.The report shows the financialfigures of contracted snowplowingand the municipality doing its ownsnowplowing as “definitely close enough to warrant calling tenders,”said councillor Larry McGrath.The report was discussed atcouncil’s June 16 meeting and wasfirst raised when maintenance costs for the public works departmentbegan to pile up. McGrath suggestedcontracting the municipality’ssnowplowing to cut down on vehiclemaintenance costs as well as theovertime costs for staff.
McGrath said there was even less
of a discrepancy between the
figures than he thought there would
be when he first asked for the
report.
He said he wasn’t about to put any
of the municipality’s workers out of
a job, especially because Mills says
the public works department is
currently operating with, what he
calls, “the minimum compliment of
manpower as it is.”
Mills found that contract use
of a grader would be just under
$110 per hour and contract use of a
truck would be $122.69 per hour.
These numbers compared to the cost
of Huron East’s operation of a
grader at $98.13 per hour and the
$101.52 per hour it cost the
municipality to run a truck. Mills
also admitted that the municipality’s
figures were probably a little on the
low side.
In addition to the hourly figures,
Mills added that there were nearly
$10,000 in maintenance costs for
just one grader and one truck last
year, $7,171 on the 1986 Mack truck
alone, the truck Mills recommended
being replaced.
Councillor David Blaney,
however, said that equipment
repairs should not dictate
such a large change in municipal
policy.
“We should not be setting policy
because we don’t want to buy the
equipment,” he said. “That just
doesn’t seem like forward thinkingto me.”But, councillor AlvinMcLellansaid, “We have to look atthe best way to deliver theseservices, especially in these tough
economic times.”
When asked if he would have
enough work for employees if
snowplowing was to be contracted
out, both Mills and mayor Joe Seili
agreed that there is always enough
work to go around throughout the
municipality.
Councillor Bill Siemon said that
there are enough dead trees in Huron
East to keep a complement
of employees busy for a long
time.
McGrath agreed that even more
research had to be done, saying “I’m
not in favour of voting to purchase a
new vehicle until we go through the
tendering process.”
The motion to accept Mills’
recommendation was tabled by
council, to return at a later date.
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By Shawn LoughlinThe CitizenHuron East considers contracting its snowplowing