Truck added to help at busy landfill

The Customer Convenience Center has been so popular, the Newton Sanitary Landfill needs more help. The landfill was approved by city council to purchase a new roll off truck to help empty containers on a more frequent basis.

“The popularity and use of the Customer Convenience Center has resulted in the containers needing to be emptied more often than anticipated,” city administrator Bob Knabel said. “There is a need to transport the roll off containers from the center to the active landfill area several times per week.”

Currently the city contracts with a local hauler to dump the containers for $30 per container. With about five containers needing to be emptied each week, the landfill is spending approximately $7,800 per year to have them emptied.

Purchasing the roll off truck will save the landfill money and allow the staff to dump the containers as needed. Through research, staff determined the most suitable used trucks range from $20,000 to $30,000 and are available at auctions and online auctions.

City staff estimates the payback period for the truck to be about five to seven years, with the life of the truck anticipated to be at least 12 years. The truck would also only be used on the landfill property.

In a meeting of the Landfill 28-E Board, members were in favor of purchasing a used roll of truck. City staff allotted $20,000 in the 2016-17 budget for the purchase. Council authorized the search and purchase of a used roll off truck from an auction, not to exceed $30,000.

Money from the landfill fund will be used for the purchase.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com