It’s a dirty job, but that’s why they’re getting a big machine to do it.
The Oxford Village Council voted 4-0 to purchase a new street sweeper from the Lake Orion-based Bell Equipment Co. for $145,881.
The purchase will be financed by Oxford Bank over a seven-year period at an interest rate of 4.45 percent.
According to DPW Superintendent Don Brantley, the village’s current machine, a 1993 Elgin Whirlwind Street Sweeper, ‘started having some issues? in fall 2005. ‘The main problem (was it’s) not sweeping to its full potential and this was causing the operator to make several passes to pick up debris,? Brantley wrote in a memo to council.
Brantley obtained estimates for various repairs to the old sweeper ranging from $9,767.73 to $27,260.53.
But he noted ‘we’re still repairing a street sweeper that was 13 years old and these repairs would not guarantee several more years of service.?
Until the new sweeper is ready in 10-12 weeks, Bell Equipment is loaning the village a sweeper free of charge.
A sweeper is used to clean all village streets three times a year ? spring, summer and fall. It’s also used on a regular basis to clean the downtown parking lots and curbed streets in the downtown area along with Glaspie and now Pontiac, which had curbing installed last year.
‘Curb streets are your most important because the debris lays right in the curb line,? Brantley said. ‘Non-curb streets, it seems to get pushed off to the edge.?