08-23-2021 Council Special Work Session Packet

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DATE: August 23, 2021 TO: City Council FROM: Rick DeGardner, Public Services Director RE: Large Vehicle Washes There are twenty-three vehicles utilized by the Public Services Department during snow plowing operations that do not have the capability of utilizing a commercial car wash. These are restricted to being washed by hand in our storage sheds due to the height and width of the vehicles. The vehicles are washed inside as to not create slippery conditions in the parking lots or walking spaces. Snow removal consists of removing the snow from the road way and applying salt to melt ice and create a safe road conditions. When salt melts it creates a brine of salt water. This brine gets into all the crevices of the plowing equipment, accelerating the rusting process. Since moisture accelerates the rusting process, it is important for the longevity of the equipment to wash and dry the equipment as soon as possible after a snow event. The current set-up provides limited opportunities to wash all large vehicles. If we continue the same operations, we need to acknowledge our equipment will show signs of rust quicker than expected. Additionally, we pay the cost of having the floor drain holding tanks pumped during the winter months (frequency dependent on total volume of water used to wash trucks and equipment). Washing vehicles and equipment indoors presents yet another problem. With the radiant heat keeping our vehicles and equipment warm and ready to use, it also creates moisture in the air that sticks to all surfaces. This can leave the equipment wet for days, again, moisture creates and accelerates rust. The radiant heating system does very little to dry the air or the equipment stored in the building. How to fix the moisture problem: Many facilities are moving to in-floor heating. In-floor heating is energy efficient and there is little heat loss from the large door openings because the heat is maintained in the concrete slab. The benefit of in-floor heat when washing equipment is it dries the air, keeping the humidity low and allowing the equipment to dry completely (slowing or stopping the rusting process).