(File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

City council

City purchasing asphalt recycler machine

May 10, 2022 | 1:56 PM

The city hopes to save some funds and time in the long term by purchasing a new asphalt recycler machine.

The unit would be used by the city’s roadways department.

City crews will be able to access the asphalt recycler to re-use asphalt removed during dig projects or stockpiled at the waste management facility, to create fresh asphalt for pothole filling and patching work.

Fleet and Maintenance Manager Seton Winterholt noted the investment was included in the city’s 2022 approved capital purchase plan.

After posting a request for proposals, the city received one bid for a machine “that is very capable of meeting the needs the city has identified,” he said.

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The supplier, Industrial Machine Inc. of Alberta, provided a bid of $133,199 plus GST, just slightly over the budgeted amount of $130,000.

Winterholt said in reviewing the capital plan administration recommended deferring a stair climber purchase planned for this year, and use part of those earmarked funds to cover the shortfall in the asphalt recycler machine purchase and for other projects. The stair climber would then be purchased in 2023 instead.

Council approved the proposal to purchase the 2022 KM International T2 Asphalt Recycler unit from Industrial Machine as quoted.

City Director of City Operations Stewart Schafer noted it’s not economical for a local company that makes asphalt to create smaller batches the city needs. That’s why the city would benefit from having an asphalt recycler of its own.

“We can make small batches when we require it during the winter time,” he added.

City Manager Randy Patrick said buying the asphalt recycler will allow the city to use the stocks at the landfill now.

“They are fairly significant,” he said. “So we get to use that to fix our potholes, and bring those numbers down.”

Patrick added using the recycler is a “reasonable way” to keep down the pile of asphalt at the landfill, “to a status the environment department appreciates.”

Winterholt mentioned some time efficiencies and savings by buying the asphalt recycler. Instead of traveling to Saskatoon to purchase hot mix, for example, the city will be able to access product here, so projects will be up and running a lot sooner.

Mayor David Gillan also said the asphalt recycler machine should be able to realize some savings for the city as another plus, since the city will be “recycling our own asphalt.”

“It won’t take long to pay off this equipment I would imagine,” he said.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW