City of Lawrence

Central Maintenance Garage

MEMORANDUM

DATE:	01/24/2008
TO:	David Corliss, City Manager
CC:	Cynthia Boecker, Asst. City Manager Diane Stoddard, Asst. City Manager Jonathan Douglass, Asst. to the City Manager Charles Soules, Director of Public Works Tammy Bennett, Asst. Director of Public Works Bob Yoos, Solid Waste Manager
FROM:	Steve Stewart, Fleet Manager
RE:	Refuse Truck Repair

Please include the following on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the 01/29/2008 meeting:

Background

Solid Waste truck unit number 489 caught fire December 8, 2007. The fire was caused by the engine block heater. The truck was towed to Midway Sterling in Kansas City - the warranty dealer for Sterling trucks in this area. The fire damaged several components on the engine and is not a repair that could be accurately bid because of the solid state components involved. The manufacturer has denied our warranty claim and we are still working on this issue with Mercedes-Benz (Sterling’s parent company).

Current Status:

Repairs have been started to determine the extent of the damage. The estimate for the repair is $15,147.90. This includes all labor, components and core charges. Some components are rebuildable if their cores are not damaged beyond repair. If the cores are accepted by the rebuilder then our cost will be reduced. This repair could be completed in the next two weeks.

Funding: 

The repairs will be funded through the repair budget of Commercial Solid Waste division.

Action Request:

Approve repair costs up to $15,147.90 for Solid Waste Truck unit number 489.