AGENDA #4e

MEMORANDUM

TO:	Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM:	Lance Norris, Public Works Director Ken Pennoyer,  Business Management Director
SUBJECT:	Award of Bid for Street Sweeper
DATE:	April 28, 2008

PURPOSE

The attached resolution would authorize the Town Manager to award a bid to Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. in the amount of $157,615, for an Elgin Crosswind J-Plus Street Sweeper.  Funding for this purchase is included in the Vehicle Replacement Fund.

BACKGROUND

Regenerative air sweeper trucks have been an integral part of Public Works and Drainage operations for many years.  The Town’s two sweeper trucks have kept the curbs and gutters clean and significantly reduced the amount of debris that collects in the drainage system, thus reducing sediments and improving water quality.  Since the purchase of our last sweeper, there have been many advances in the technology associated with these machines, both in how they operate and their effects on the environment.  The new technology on the proposed sweeper would allow for greater efficiency with its ability to remember street slopes and angles, in essence cutting down on engine wear over the life of the machine.  From a maintenance standpoint, the machine has an onboard diagnostic center that allows mechanics to quickly determine where a problem is occurring.

DISCUSSION

Three companies bid on the sweeper, of which Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. was the only fully responsive bidder.  There were several items specified based on importance to and necessity for operations.  Of the equipment included in bids by the three companies, the Elgin Crosswind J-Plus Street Sweeper was the only unit to comply with 100% of specifications.  Other companies’ machines did not fully meet the specifications; therefore, they were considered non-responsive.  Equipment bid by the other two companies failed to meet specifications related to the engine, hopper liner, gutter brooms and electrical wiring.

The lower bids of $154,336 for a Tymco, submitted by Twin States Equipment, and $150,471 for a Schwarze, submitted by Carolina Environmental Systems, Inc., did not meet all the required specifications as noted below. 

• Specifications called for a minimum 115 horsepower engine.  Tymco only provides a 99 horsepower engine, which costs considerably less than the engine specified.  The 115 horsepower unit provides superior performance; specifically, reliable collection of debris and longer engine service life.

• Specifications 1) called for a hopper unit made of no less than 304 grade stainless steel or a manufacturer-installed polypropylene hopper liner with a lifetime warranty against corrosion and blast through, and 2) required that the hopper be sloped a minimum of 10 degrees.  These requirements were specified to eliminate the reoccurring need to make repairs to the hopper liner and problems associated with debris being trapped in the hopper unit. 

• Specifications called for the blower unit to operate at a minimum of 3000 RPM.  Schwarze provides a blower unit at a minimum 2300 RPM, resulting in less airflow for picking up waste and more debris left on the streets.

• Specifications called for a digital readout of the tilt of the gutter broom .  This readout provides the operator with immediate feedback about the position of the broom while the sweeper is in operation and the ability to adjust the head as needed from inside the truck cab.  This results in better debris removal and longer sweeper head life.  The tilts on the other units are preset and not adjustable from inside the cab.

• Specifications called for wiring to be color-coded and function-labeled.  The Tymco sweeper included color-coding but no function-labeling.  The dealer for the Schwarze did not specify whether or not either would be provided.

In addition to the above failures to meet minimum specifications, the following relative disadvantages for the equipment were discovered by operators during demonstration:

1. The Tymco and Schwarze had less dust control due, in part, to fewer number of spray nozzles mounted around the machine.

2. Dumping was more difficult in the Tymco due to its raker-designed hopper (which means debris is ejected mechanically from the hopper), rather than being dumped from a tilting hopper.  The lack of tilt in the Schwarze hopper made it more difficult to dump as well.

3. Mechanics noted a number of design disadvantages on both machines in comparison with the Elgin, when certain repairs would be needed.  For example, the other two machines require labor intensive removal of the sweeper heads when replacing the vacuum curtains, neither have an onboard diagnostic center to identify system failures and the control valves are not conveniently located for ease of  maintenance.  

BID PROCEDURES

Specifications and bid notices were distributed to three vendors in North Carolina..

The Notice to Bidders was published on the Town’s web site February 27, 2008.  Three bids were received and opened  March 7, 2008.  The bids received were as follows:

Vendor	Bid  Plus Options Needed
Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. 3405 Westwood Industrial Dr., Monroe NC, 28110	$157,615 - no options needed
Twin State Equipment P.O. Box 238 Marshville, NC 28103	$142,386+$11,950 = $154,336
Carolina Environmental Systems, Inc., 2750 HWY 66 South Kernersville, NC 27284	$133,666+$16,805 = $150,471

Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc., submitted a bid for the Elgin Crosswind J-Plus Street Sweeper that met 100% of the specifications, resulting in the only responsive bid.  Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. also can guarantee delivery of the equipment in less than thirty days, rather than 60 – 90 days for the Schwarze.  Twin States failed to specify a delivery time for the Tymco.  The timely delivery of the new sweeper would minimize the potential need to replace a failing power control module at a cost of about $5,000, or the need to take the older sweeper out of service prior to receiving the new unit.  

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Town Manager to award the bid for an Elgin Crosswind J-Plus Street Sweeper from Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. for the bid price of $157,615.