Agenda - 09-15-2015 - 6c - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 The Solid Waste Department FY 2015/16 equipment replacement schedule calls for the replacement of one semi-automated curbside recycling truck to be funded from equipment replacement reserves and the purchase of one new semi-automated curbside recycling truck that will be debt financed. One of these new rural curbside trucks will service the new residences in the proposed expansion area with the other truck to act as a backup truck for all three rural curbside recycling trucks in case of mechanical failure or required maintenance. The trucks being proposed have compacting bodies enabling the Recycling Division to collect more homes while on route without having to break off-route to unload material, thereby creating more efficient routing. The cab and chassis being proposed is a low entry cab for employees to safely enter and exit the vehicle when required to collect 18 gallon recycling bins throughout the route. The truck is also capable of automated roll cart collection. Due to the nature of collection in the rural recycling program and the need for a capability for collecting both bins and carts, there are only a limited number of truck configurations that might address this necessity. The new trucks proposed for purchase are the same chassis and body type as the two original semi-automatic rural curbside recycling trucks authorized for purchase by the County Board of Commissioners at its January 23, 2014 meeting. These trucks have been servicing bins and recycling carts in the current curbside recycling service area since February 2015 and recycling and maintenance staff has been reasonably satisfied with their performance. The original trucks were sole source exemption due to the below stated reasons. The Labrie Expert 2000 is the only truck that has an arm that can reach 10 feet to collect carts off the curb and around difficult to maneuver cul-de-sacs and is also the only truck that can store the arm in the body's hopper for easy and ergonomically safe manual collection of bins. The Heil model has a maximum reach of six feet and the GS model has a maximum reach of eight feet. The longer collection arm has helped our drivers safely and efficiently collect carts that may not have been properly placed near or close to the edge of roadway. There are only two cab and chassis manufacturers (Mack and Crane Carrier) that make a cab- over engine cab with a curbside entry step as low as 18 inches from the ground. Due to the expected number of rural customers that have elected to continue using bins, the rural curbside drivers will continue to enter and exit the cab hundreds of times each day. Thus entry height for driver health & safety is a major concern. While the Mack has an initial entry height of 18 inches, it has a second step making the total height over 30 inches. The Recycling Division currently operates Crane Carrier cabs, and it is the only cab manufacturer the makes a low entry cab that has such driver friendly low entry capability that is truly only 18 inches. After researching and testing the trucks, the Recycling Division found the best option to be the Crane Carrier cab and chassis with Labrie Expert 2000 drop frame bodies. North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 143-129(e) lists the authorized exceptions to the formal bid procedures. NCGS 143-129(e)(g) allows for purchases of apparatus, supplies, materials, or equipment to be purchased using sole-source exception when: (i) performance or price competition for a product are not available; (ii) a needed product is available from only one source of supply; or (iii) standardization or compatibility is the overriding consideration. After thorough research, no new heavy truck manufacturer since 2014 has been able to provide or offer a similar truck chassis or body in accordance with the requested specifications and as such, the Crane Carrier cab and chassis with the Labrie Expert 2000 drop frame body is a sole