By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
By ordering a new snowplow truck now, Houston County can save approximately $18,700 and a lot of headaches. County Highway Superintendent Tom Molling recommended ordering the new truck now, with delivery the fall of 2010, to the Houston County Board during the Aug. 25 meeting.
In the past, the county has been on a 10-year rotation with its snowplow trucks. But with the drastic belt-tightening the county has been forced to conduct due to cuts in state aid, the county has stretched the replacement schedule to about 13 years per truck. The truck the county is looking at replacing will be 12 years old before it is taken out of service.
Molling explained that due to stricter EPA regulations, all diesel trucks built after this year will have a urea fuel injection system. The new system has not been adequately tested in the northern climates, according to Molling. He feels there are a number of issues that need to be ironed out with the urea injection systems before he would feel comfortable having a vehicle in the county’s fleet with the new system.
Storing the highly-corrosive fuel additive and jelling issues during winter weather were two of the concerns Molling mentioned. Another is the price of urea, which is about $10 to $12 per gallon. Diesel-powered vehicles using the new system use one gallon of urea for four gallons of diesel.
A snowplow truck without the urea system would be approximately $11,000 less than the same truck with the system. Molling also checked into the prices of outfitting a new truck with a dump box, plow and wing. If the truck is ordered now, the price of the add-ons would be $7,700 less.
“We could save $18,700 if we go with a state bid now and we won’t have all those headaches,” Molling said.
“I agree with Tom,” Commissioner Dave Corcoran said. “If we can save $18,700 and not have to deal with an unproven technology, I think we need to go for it.”
Commissioner Tom Bjerke said moving forward would mean an unplanned $180,000 expenditure. “We were planning on cutting this out of the 2010 budget, with all the state cuts we’re hearing about. So where does the money come from?” Bjerke asked.
Highway Engineer Brian Pogodzinski said that a bridge replacement project on CSAH 249 that was scheduled for 2010 could be put back one year. That project was estimated at $150,000.
A motion by Corcoran and seconded by Bjerke to move forward with the purchase of the snowplow truck and attachments was unanimously approved.
In other board action:
Skid loader purchased
The board approved a motion to purchase a skid loader from Caledonia Implement, which submitted the low bid of $32,988. The board had reviewed the purchase of a skid loader earlier this year, but due to uncertainties with state aid payments, decided to wait.
According to Molling, the price of the skid loader was still the same, but a four-year, 4,000-hour, zero-deductible extended warranty was no longer being offered by the manufacturer free of charge. The four-year warranty would cost an additional $3,800. The skid loader comes with a 12-month warranty.
Molling didn’t think the county should spend the $3,800 for an additional four-year warranty. When asked what part of a skid loader usually breaks down first, Molling replied the hydraulics or drive motors.
Corcoran thought repairs of those items could far exceed the cost of the extended warranty. He asked if the county could purchase the extended warranty during the first year they owned the machine. Molling didn’t know, but said he would check into the matter.
Corcoran made a motion to purchase the skid loader for $32,988, plus a tine bucket for $699 and have Molling see if the county could purchase the extended warranty during the first year. If they couldn’t his motion included the county purchasing the extended warranty. His motion was seconded by Bjerke and unanimously approved.
Pavement marking bid approved
The board approved the low bid for the county road marking program. The low bid submitted by Triple A Road Striping of St. Michael, Minn. was $64,679. The county had budgeted $70,000 for the program this year.
Housing/rehab report
Wayne Stenberg of Semcac and Tom Falbo president of the Bluff Country HRA reported on recent housing and rehab programs being conducted by the two agencies.
Stenberg reported that over $1 million was provided to Houston County flood victims through various loan and grant programs. Semcac administered 38 Quick Start loans totalling $1,001,269.48 for rebuilding and rehab projects on structures damaged by the 2007 and 2008 floods.
Semcac also administered 14 flood insurance grants totalling $8,319, which helps pay for flood insurance for two years for persons who qualified for Quick Start loans. Another $56,996 was provided for 10 home repair and replacement loans and another $4,495 for four energy efficient replacement grants.
The total amount for Semcac flood loans and grants from 2007 through July of 2009 was $1,071,079.48.
Falbo reported the Bluff Country HRA is close to closing on an affordable housing complex in Houston County. The project is a 31-unit apartment complex that will be federally funded. The project will cost approximately $900,000. Because the title verification and closing have not been completed yet, he could not divulge the location of the potential complex.
Courthouse renovation
County Human Resources Director Tess Kruger presented estimates on the basement renovation project.
The estimates are for work to be done in the former surveyor’s office, the employee break room and the south entry landing and steps. The renovation project includes asbestos and mold mitigation.
According to the figures Kruger provided, $2,000 will go towards new ceiling tiles in the former surveyor’s office, the break room and entry. Another $3,000 will be spent on putting new vinyl composition tile on the floors.
To deal with the mold issue in the walls, the old paneling will be removed from the walls, the original stone walls will be sealed, green board will be installed, taped and painted. The cost for this portion of the project is $5,700.
The electrical work, which includes ceiling fixtures will cost $3,700.
To improve the heating system, the old fin tube radiator will be removed and replaced with a 16-foot commercial unit, new duct work and diffusers. The cost of this portion of the project is $2,900.
The total cost of the project is $18,000.
The board unanimously approved a motion to accept the estimates and instructed Kruger to proceed with the project.
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