ROGERS -- The City Council approved adding two dump trucks for plowing snow to its fleet of three during its meeting Tuesday.
Frankie Guyll, Street Department superintendent, said the trucks are needed to keep up with the growing city.
"We are going to five lane roads and this just makes sense," Guyll said.
The new trucks can carry about 20 tons of mix to treat roads, Guyll said. He said the city's current trucks hold eight.
Guyll said the plows are 11 feet wide and weight about 2,600 pounds, making them 2 feet longer and 1,000 pounds heavier than the cities existing plows. He said the heavier a plow is the better it is at breaking up ice.
"The trucks are bigger and better," Guyll said.
It cost the city about $350,000 to buy the trucks and to equip them with plows and hydraulic systems, Guyll said.
Mayor Greg Hines said winter weather in recent years has caused difficulties for the region. He said each winter storm has brought with it a different set of problems.
"We are always looking for better ways to respond to winter weather," Hines said.
The snow plows will help the city meet the public's expectations for clearing roads, Hines said.
Casey Wilhelm, director of finance, said money was set aside for the plows in the 2015 budget. The city's 2015 fiscal year started Jan. 1.
Grand Truck Equipment of Afton, Okla., was awarded the bid for the plow, city documents show. Hiltbilt Sales of Benton was awarded the bid for the hydraulic system and Kenworth of Springdale was awarded the bid for the dump trucks.
In other business, the council also approved a $61,524 contract with Radiophone of NW Arkansas of Lowell. The contract is to buy and install encryption modules to Police Department radios.
Another $49,900 was approved buy a generator for the Fire Department from Hill Electric of Farmington.
A press box to be built at the Veterans Park Soccer Complex also was approved for $53,000. KB Structural of Rogers was awarded the bid for the project.
NW News on 02/25/2015