The Crestwood Board of Aldermen voted 6-2 last week to approve the purchase of a 2.5-ton dump truck that costs roughly $4,000 more than budgeted.

Aldermen Tim Trueblood of Ward 2 and Paul Duchild of Ward 3 voted against the purchase of the vehicle.

The board allocated $110,000 in its 2012 budget for the purchase of one, 2.5-ton dump truck. The truck, a 2013 International 7400 SFA dump truck, costs $114,331. The purchase is intended to replace one of the city’s existing 1998, 2.5-ton Freightliner FL-70 dump trucks, according to information Director of Public Services Jim Eckrich provided to the board. Excess funds for the purchase could come from “the anticipated underrun in the asphalt mill and overlay project,” Eckrich stated.

The 1998 dump truck being replaced would be sold on

, a website that allows government organizations to sell surplus and confiscated items.

Duchild said he believes the issue with the ’98 dump truck is extending its life, rather than purchasing a new truck.

“I think we’re talking about whether we keep this truck going a little bit longer and, to me, if we spend $10,000 getting it going it’s a lot better deal for the city than spending $114,000 right now …,” he said.

Jeff Taylor, Crestwood’s vehicle maintenance supervisor, said it would cost roughly $600 to $700 to “get the vehicle back safe on the road.”

The truck’s hydraulic system, which is in need of immediate repair, could cost from $1,300 to $4,000, he said.

Ward 2 Alderman Bob Deutschmann visited the Public Works Department before the meeting to inspect the truck and said he finds it hard to believe the 14-year-old truck has just 47,000 miles on it.

“In my mind, somewhere along the line, that truck was abused rather than used …,” Deutschmann said.

Superintendent of Maintenance Wendell Hill said Crestwood also does not have the facilities to properly clean the trucks.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District no longer allow trucks to be cleaned in the yard, according to Hill.

“Our building is not equipped to raise the bed on that truck to clean it properly … The trucks aren’t being abused. We don’t have the systems to properly clean them …,” Hill said. “Now, we have to do the best we can with the cleaning, but salt gets into the cracks and crevices on the vehicles and you can’t get to all of them and it starts eating at the metal, eating at the brakes, brake lines…”

Looking at total miles, Trueblood said the dump truck being replaced runs roughly 3,300 miles per year and he is trying to understand why it needs to be replaced when it is used “so little” now.

“I’m not saying that that truck is past repair, that’s not even the issue,” Trueblood said. “I’m just thinking to myself, golly, we put the truck on the road 3,000 miles a year, I don’t understand why we’re replacing it …”

Taylor said the dump truck currently is red tagged.

“I do have the unit in question in my rack right now and the right, rear duals are torn apart …,” Taylor said. “Alderman (Deutschmann) stopped by the shop yesterday, and I explained to him, it’s not the miles on the truck, it’s the hours on the truck.”

The dump truck runs on a diesel engine, and diesel engines are dictated by hours rather than mileage, according to Taylor.

The average diesel engine will run eight hours a day, and during a snow event it does not get shut down, he said.

“If we run into a cold weather situation, they won’t start up again,” he said. “So, it’s falling apart. The ’98 (dump truck) is falling apart. Personally, myself, I wouldn’t take it out. It’s going to be a liability more than an asset.”

Taylor said the city is “feeding a horse that needs to be shot” if it continues to repair the ’98 dump truck.

“The alderman (Deutschmann) came to my shop yesterday, and I handed him a chunk of the frame,” Taylor said. “It’s falling apart … It’s time to put it out to pasture.”

Eckrich said he would hope to get about $8,000 for the ’98 dump truck.

In other business, the board approved the following items:

• An allocation of $23,400 in Community Development Block Grant funds for a home-improvement program. The federal grant funds are administered through St. Louis County.

• Purchase of copiers and printers from Copying Concepts for $43,557 and maintenance for a five-year term at $30,000.

• A maintenance agreement with the MSD for Spellman Avenue, Phase I.

• A budget amendment for rental occupancy expenditures.

• Modifications to the city’s sign code.

• Cancellation of the July 10 board meeting.

The board’s next meeting will be June 12 at the Crestwood Government Center, 1 Detjen Drive.