Is buying a street sweeper the answer

It’s been about 30 years since the city had its own street sweeping truck.
At that time, Hamtramck was locked in political turmoil, and those who opposed the mayor (who favored having a sweeper) at that time heavily criticized the purchase of a truck.
Flash forward to today, and city officials are unanimous in wanting to purchase a sweeper.
Why?
There has been ongoing criticism that the city’s contractor for sweeping the streets has not been doing a good job.
Purchasing the truck will give the city the ability hit the streets more often, advocates say.
But one obstacle remains. How do you get residents to move their cars on the day their street is scheduled to be swept?
With parking extremely limited here, it’s next to impossible to get people to move their vehicles. And it’s not residents who are purposely being stubborn, folks. The problem for many is: ‘Move my car to where’?
There’s also the question of cost for the sweeper – they’re not cheap, and neither is the cost of upkeep. However, the cost of a contractor for a season is $60,000 and the cost of the truck is $330,000. In a few years, the truck will pay for itself.
We think it’s worth another try for the city to undertake its own street sweeping duties, and we are confident that sooner or later, we can get enough residents to cooperate on moving their vehicles.
Posted April 14, 2023