City turns to private contractor for its dirtiest job
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
The City of Burlington is getting out of that dirty business known as sludge spreading. But how much that change represents in money savings or staff efficiency remains to be seen.
Turning over the handling of sludge to a private contractor eliminates the logistical hurdles associated with the task and frees up staff to tackle the technical tasks they are trained to handle, according to Department of Public Works Director Connie Wilson.
Sludge is the bio solids left over at the end of the wastewater treatment process. Clean water is returned to the Fox River and sludge is removed from drying beds and spread on area farm fields as fertilizer when the weather permits.
Wilson said it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure permitted farm fields on which to spread the sludge. In addition, the wastewater utility would have to soon replace the 20-year-old tractor, tank and injector used to spread the sludge at a cost running into hundreds of thousands.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a resolution contracting with Pat’s Services of New Munster to handle the sludge spreading for the next three years.
According to Wilson, the city currently spends about $60,000 per year on sludge spreading. That cost will increase an estimated $10,000-$15,000 under the new contract.
However, Wilson said, the city will realize savings in several areas. Most notably is that the contract eliminates the need for the city to purchase new equipment and/or maintain the equipment used to spread the sludge.
As part of the contract, Pat’s agreed to purchase the tractor and injector the city currently uses for $80,000.
Those funds will be subtracted from the city’s bill, meaning the city will essentially get a year or more of service for nothing.
However, Mayor Bob Miller made it clear there will be no direct cost savings in terms of labor because the wastewater utility will not layoff any employees as a result of the change.
Instead, Wilson said, those employees will be freed up to handle emerging tasks, such as inspections of residential water spigots for potentially hazardous cross connections.
“Instead of hauling sludge, he’ll be available to do these inspections,” Wilson said.
Alderman Tom Vos said it is important for the wastewater utility to attempt to quantify any savings and benefits as a result of the new contract to reassure taxpayers that the switch is in the city’s best interest.
“It’s much easier when you’re having a conversation (with a constituent) on the street to say, ‘We’re spending some money over here, but we’re saving some money over there,’” Vos said.
Police vehicles OK’d
In other business Tuesday, the City Council approved the purchase of two sport utility vehicles for use by the city police department as marked patrol vehicles.
The city accepted a bid of $26,500 per vehicle to purchase a pair of 2013 Ford Explorer Police Interceptors from Miller Motors of Burlington.
Miller was one of three dealers providing bids and the only local dealership involved. All the bids were within $600 of each other, with Miller in the middle, just $105 more than the low bidder – Ewald Automotive Group.
The funds for the purchase were included in the department’s 2012 equipment replacement fund.
According to Police Chief Peter Nimmer, the new vehicles will replace a 2006 Dodge Charger and a 2010 Ford Crown Victoria. Both vehicles had more than 100,000 miles on them.
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