Blytheville Public Works Director Marvin Crawford plans to meet with City Attorney Mike Bearden "for possible legal action" regarding the city's still-broken street sweeper.
Last October, Blytheville City Council members agreed to allow Memphis-based Scruggs Equipment Company to hook the sweeper to a diagnostic machine and make repairs.
The city transported the street sweeper to Scruggs, where it remained for about 5 1/2 months, according to Crawford.
"They called and said it was ready to go," Crawford told the Health and Sanitation Committee Tuesday night. "I sent a truck down to pick it up and bring it to the yard and it wouldn't start. This was probably two months ago now. During that time they had a pair of technicians work on the machine for about a week and a half. They had some parts they had to order, he said."
Thus far, the city has spent around $18,000 to repair the sweeper, including transportation expenses.
Crawford said the company informed him on Tuesday that a mechanic would be in Blytheville Wednesday with a hydraulic pump.
In the meantime, Crawford has begun seeking estimates from companies that sell, rent and lease sweepers.
Councilwoman Missy Langston, who chairs the committee, noted at one point the city looked at a street sweeping firm from Memphis. She asked if that was still an option.
In February 2012, city leaders met with representatives from Sweeping Corporation of America's Memphis office about its services. The cost would be about $75,000 a year to farm out the service, though that figure would rise about $30,000 the first year to get the situation under control. The board took no action on the street sweeper.
Meanwhile, Crawford also reported that his crew is spread thin because of mowing season, but Public Works is working to catch up on collecting the bags of leaves and grass clippings.
Crawford may use manpower from the mowing crew to help pick up the leaves and grass clippings.
He anticipates the new leaf vacuum truck arriving next month, which would assist in picking up the loose leaves and grass clippings on the street and in the drains, but not necessarily in picking up the bagged items.
In other news, Crawford said the public may not be aware that Public Works doesn't pick up tires, which should be disposed of at the installation sites.
Through an East Arkansas Planning and Development program, residents were able to bring their old tires to Public Works, but EAPD has discontinued the program to cut back on expenses. Public Works had charged $1 per tire to help offset the $250 monthly expense.
Now residents will have to take their old tires directly to the landfill.
According to Langston, there is a tractor-trailer at the landfill and everyone in county brings tires there. When full, the tires are shipped to a recycler in the state.
Also, Crawford reported that the city has torn down a structure on East Sawyer and it is beginning to do some demolition work in house.
The board also looked over the first quarter financials for the Sanitation Department.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com