Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Chesterton Street Department maintenance regime pays off big time

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By KEVIN NEVERS

It was just too good a deal to let go: a $45,000 trade-in value on a 10-year old Freightliner grapple truck.

So Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg reported to the Town Council at its meeting Monday night.

That trade-in will drop the cost of a brand-new grapple truck--selling for $150,000--down to $105,000, which is roughly what the Street Department paid when it acquired the Freightliner some years ago.

At Schnadenberg’s request, members voted unanimously to approve the four-year lease-purchase of the new grapple truck with the trade-in, using CEDIT moneys to make the annual payments. Schnadenberg noted that the Street Department has just finished paying off the cost of a second grapple truck, and the new payments will simply be slotted into its budget.

“We use the grapple trucks just about every day,” he said.

Member Lloyd Kittredge, R-2nd, did take a moment to make the obvious observation, that you don’t get a $45,000 trade-in credit for a lousy piece of equipment. “I think it says a lot about the way the Street Department maintains its equipment that they could get that good a trade-in for the truck.”

Member Bob Allison, D-3rd, concurred. “People in this town really don’t understand the little things our employees do to keep equipment top-notch,” he said. “It shows how important our employees are in maintaining the equipment.”

Declared Surplus

In other business, and again at Schnadenberg’s request, members voted unanimously to declare as surplus the Street Department’s 2003 International bucket truck, and to accept sealed bids from the public for its purchase.

Schnadenberg told the council that the 2003 bucket truck was replaced last year, and he would prefer not to wait until the annual municipal auction in the fall to sell it.

Waiver Request

Meanwhile, members voted unanimously to take under advisement--pending staff review--Brian Lewandowski’s petition for two waivers from the Town Standard requiring the installation of a sidewalk in front of all new construction.

Lewandowski is building two duplexes at 22nd Street and Westchester Ave.; and another at 20th and Westchester.

 

Posted 1/15/2020

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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