MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — 450,000 Mobile tax dollars will now buy a truck used to alleviate flooding issues.
The city is planning to buy a Vactor vacuum truck.
“We have 31 thousand inlets in this city that need to be cleaned at one time or another and that gets the drainage through it also,” Mobile’s Senior Public Works Director John Peavy said, adding “Also, as we are doing construction projects engineering needs it to go underground and see what’s under there to bid projects.”
Officials with the city say this truck will be the third Vactor truck in Mobile’s fleet. There’s currently two truck’s that are supposed to be in service and in rotation clearing and clogging Mobile’s drains daily.
“I see them about once a month maybe,” Ann Street resident David Owens said.
“I haven’t seen them recently but at one point they were here everyday coming down the street pre-Christmas,” Ann Street resident Ella Everett said.
NBC 15 requested to see the trucks in action Wednesday morning to find out how it’s working and why it’s worth the money.
City officials told us both trucks were already in for the day by early Wednesday afternoon.
“At one point and time we had five trucks,” Peavy said, adding “We’ve had these now for six years and they are starting to become mechanically unreliable that’s why there’s a push for this new one.”
If more machines mean less hassle, Ann Street residents say they are behind the $450,000 price tag.
“I think it’s a good investment,” Everett said, adding “However, I don’t want another budget item to suffer for it.”
The city is planning to use money from increased storm water fees to buy this truck.
Council recently announced the storm water fee has raised more than $1.6 million.
Mayor Sandy Stimpson says he wants to use the money to purchase a Vactor vacuum truck and a video pipe inspection device.