While I applaud the city for getting top dollar for used equipment, I kind of wonder if this equipment is bringing in that much money, why are we selling it?
Two street sweepers once used to clean Sioux Falls routes just might be sweeping the streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today. A third might be cleaning the avenues of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Buyers from Winnipeg and Riyadh purchased the used equipment online after Sioux Falls began using an Internet auction service in 2006. Since then, the city has sold nine pieces of specialized surplus equipment online with receipts totaling more than $275,000, said Scott Rust, city purchasing coordinator.
I think this commenter on the AL story says it best;
Do we no longer use street sweepers in Sioux Falls? I wonder why the street sweepers are good enough for Winnipeg or Riyadh but not good enough for Sioux Falls. Did we sell equipment that was paid for only to purchase expensive new equipment?
Oh, probably. Councilor Costello has brought it up in the council meetings that the city has too much ‘new’ equipment and vehicles. Of course, his words fell on deaf ears as usual.