Let it snow.
The Buchanan City Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase of a new snowplow system for the city’s 1997 International dump/plow truck.
“The International truck that we bought from the city of Bridgman, was actually a great purchase, but the plow system they had was medium to light duty, and it’s falling apart on us,” Bill Marx, city manager of Buchanan, said during the meeting
The council accepted a bid from Dutton Truck and Trailer Supplies in Grand Rapids of $10,949, which includes the cost of standard hardware and installation on the truck. The council also decided to invest in a carbide cutting edge for the new blade, which will cost an additional $720, bringing the total cost of the new system to $11,669.
“This system here allows us to change the direction of the blade from inside the cab rather than manually try to go out and change it,” Marx said.
Mayor Brenda Hess asked if the system could transfer to a separate truck if the vehicle it was installed on was out of service, but Marx did not have an immediate answer.
The purchase of the new blade is not in the current budget, but Marx said there is an equipment reserve fund with about $130,000 that would be used to pay for the new system. The blade should be installed within the next two weeks, he said.
Marx also said that a new loader and a new plow truck might need to be budgeted in the next year.
The council also accepted a sealed bid of $2,800 by Bethel Apostolic Tabernacle Church to purchase a bus from the city. The council unanimously voted to approve the sale to the church, which was the only organization to place a bid.
The bus was initially purchased with state and federal funds, so the money from the sale will, by law, go directly into the city’s transportation fund.
In the commissioner’s comments, Councilman Dan Vigansky informed the council that Beacon Health System will officially leave Buchanan on Dec. 16, as Dr. Harold Brown’s office will close.
Beacon had searched for a doctor with a Michigan license for two years, but has been unable to find a candidate.