City Saving Money by Buying New Leaf Loading Machine
City Saving Money by Buying New Leaf Loading Machine
Editor,
As city manager, I am responding to the Jan. 4 letter to the editor from Ellen Newman (“Why is City Spending So Much of My Money on Leaf Loader?”) regarding the city’s purchase of a vacuum leaf loader.
Given the city’s current financial situation, inaccurate or poorly researched information regarding the city council’s expenditure of public funds can’t be ignored.
First, the unit in question is not a leaf blower and is funded from the street sweeping utility which is money collected specifically for this purpose.
It is a piece of equipment that allows pickup and disposal of large amounts of leaves.
If these leaves are not picked up, they block storm drain inlets and cause flooding.
This machine, which has an annualized cost of about $5,000 per year, allows maintenance of the storm drain system and avoidance of flooding by utilizing a three- person crew.
The alternative would be to have 10 to 15 crewmembers with trucks, shovels, rakes and pitchforks attend to the leaves at a much higher cost.
This is a prudent business decision that any private enterprise would make to increase efficiency and benefit the bottom line.
Clint G. Quilter
Hollister
