Contracted Street Sweeping

At the May 17 PW meeting the conversation was started about contracting out spring street sweeping.  Spring sweeping would be  the best fit for contracted services because of the urgency involved. Sand and debris from the winter needs to removed from the streets, as soon as possible, before spring rains can wash it into the storm water system.  Spring is also the busiest time for the PW department. Crews are busy repairing winter damage to the ROW, signs knocked down in traffic accidents, localized flooding, potholes and making the transition from winter to spring in general.  Three options could be considered if we propose to contract out spring sweeping.
1. Have the contractor supply additional sweepers and work with city staff to perform the task.  The most common scenario in this option is the contractor supplies X number of additional sweepers and the city supplies the dump trucks and water truck needed to support the operation.  Upside would be sweeping time would be cut dramatically, but the downside is staff and equipment would still be required.

2. Option two would have the contractor perform all aspects of the operation, including hauling the debris and supplying the water truck.  The upside would be PW staff would be free to work on other spring time projects.  The down side would be expense. Rates for equipment rental were running from $ 76.00-$83.00/ hour for pickup broom sweepers and $80.00/hour for tandem dump trucks in 2011.

3. Option three would be a combination of the first two options.  Have the contracted forces sweep our curb/storm-water areas and city staff could sweep the ditched areas. The curbed areas are more time sensitive, while the ditched areas allow for more flexibility. 

Direct staff to seek RFP's for spring street sweeping 2012