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Snow plow fleet needs an update December 10, 2017, 5:09 pmOn October 3, Highland Operations and Maintenance Director Justin Parduhn gave Mayor Mark Thompson and the city council an update on the city's snow plows. Currently, the city uses five trucks to plow city streets, the newest of which is nine years old. One has to be used exclusively at the cemetery because it cannot pass safety and emissions inspections and cannot be driven on the roads. All of the trucks are showing wear and tear as a result of salt damage to the wiring and electrical systems. At least one of the trucks breaks down or has a problem during almost every snow storm, Parduhn said. The city spends about $40,000 annually for truck repairs. Most of the repairs have been done to try and keep costs down, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find replacement parts for the old vehicles and plows, he said. Parduhn also told the council that with growth in the size of the city, they are putting a lot more miles on each of the vehicles. Currently, it takes 13 hours to clear the city after a large snow storm. During a storm they have one truck that runs up and down Highland Boulevard all day long, he said. He asked the council to consider the purchase of a new truck with a plow which, he said, would cost about $150,000. He said the finance department is currently researching where the funds would come from for such a purchase. After a brief discussion, Thompson said there was an immediate need and that he would support renting a truck in the short term if needed. He directed Parduhn to have the staff put together some information about the purchase or lease of a new vehicle. He also suggested that rather than have to replace all of the trucks at the same time down the road, it would be wise to stagger the vehicle purchases. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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