New track loader for snowy city lots

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
DPW workers will deploy a smaller vehicle to clear snow from city parking lots this winter, after City Council voted unanimously to replace its front-end loader with a new track loader.
The tracked machine would be more flexible, nimble, able to fit in tight spaces, adaptable, and reduce storage space requirements, with better visibility and safety, said City Manager Jonathan Smith.
“It offers incredible versatility,” Smith said.
City Council voted 6-0 to buy an ASV model VT Track Loader, with enclosed cab, 67-inch dirt bucket, 48-inch forks, 10-foot box snow plow, setup, delivery, and one-year warrantee from Weingartz Equipment of Independence Township for $52,250.
The city received an offer to buy its front-end loader, a Caterpillar 928G, for $53,000, Smith said.
“We could trade in and end up $750 in the black,” he said.
The Caterpillar, which was purchased in 2004 for $120,329, is too big for the city, Smith said.
“It’s a massive piece of equipment – it’s really intended to be used in salt mines and gravel pits,” he said. “We’ve been only using it on very rare occasions. This is a very underutilized asset.”
The city logged about 1,500 hours on the Caterpillar since its purchase, about 115 hours per year. It’s designed for about 2,000 hours per year, Smith said.
“In the last year, it was used less than 30 hours,” he said. “It’s large size precludes use for most projects in the city.”
It’s also costly to maintain.
“The tires need replacement – it would cost $10,000 to replace the four tires,” Smith said.
The track loader, with its attachments, would be used throughout the year, he said.
“We’ll use it two to three times a week as opposed to two to three times a year,” Smith said.
Council member Sharron Catallo said the front-end loader’s size is needed during strong winters, which wasn’t the case last year.
“We didn’t have much snow last year. The year before that, there was a lot,” Catallo said. “By my corner by the stop sign, kids were sledding off it. It all depends – we’ve always used the front-end loader.”
Mayor Steven Percival said the DPW is the experts in this situation.
“If they’re asking for this piece of equipment, it’s not like we’re the experts on this,” Percival said. “It’s a trade. You’re getting a new piece of equipment you’re going to use more often and you’re still going to do the job. You don’t have to have that big front-end loader to pick up all that snow. You can have this do the same thing. Yes, it’s going to take more time but it might not take much more because it’s more agile, it can get around easier.”
Bids for the track loader were also received from Southeastern Equipment of Novi for $52,250; and Flint New Holland of Burton for $58,489.
The prices of the first two quotes were the same because of intense back-and-forth negotiations, Smith said.
“It’s sold and supported by Weingartz right here in Clarkston,” he said.
The city is also looking into replacing its street sweeper. The current machine, a 1984 Tennant Street Sweeper, recently broke down because of an oil leak. Estimated cost to repair was $2,084.
One option is to buy a rotary pickup brush attachment for the track loader for $3,995. A new machine would cost about $44,500, and used sweepers cost about $24,500, he said.
Percival said they could look into it in the spring.
“We don’t need to do this today,” he said. “If we are seeing revenue coming in from paid parking, dedicated to streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, we may be able take some out of there in the spring and do what we need to do.”

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