Benedetti Update Concerning

San Angelo City Councilman Tommy Thompson asked staff for an update on the city's $1.2 million Benedetti Machine purchased to resurface city roads.  As the request was made in City Council one might expect a public update.  That did not happen.  Staff sent out a memo update in the March 16th Friday packet.  Operations Director Shane Kelton added a bit more information on the Benedetti Machine during Council's strategic planning session on March 29th.

Council learned the $1.2 million machine had been idle.  It broke within the warranty period and needed repair, according to Kelton's memo:

The hot in place asphalt recycling machine, better known locally as the Benedetti machine, has not been operated since fall of 2017. The initial reason for its lack of use was due to a faulty rear main seal on one of the Caterpillar drive engines. This engine issue was a Caterpillar warranty issue and unfortunately we were not high on Caterpillar’s repair list and the repair took some time to be accomplished.

Surely the manufacturer made warranty commitments for a $1.2 million piece of equipment.

The Street and Bridge division had more problems than a broken seal.

By the time this repair was made, the Street and Bridge Division had suffered a significant loss of personnel. Moving into late fall and early winter the division was down approximately 50% to 55% of its approved staffing level.

With staffing levels so low and the wet cool weather we received in the fall, pothole repair, trench repair and crack sealing in preparation for the annual seal coat contract was all the remaining staff could manage. Although low staffing levels was the primary reason for not returning the machine back to use over the winter months, colder than normal weather also has played a role in its lack of use. Air and pavement temperatures need to be above 45 degrees for the machine to work properly.

As of March 29th staffing remained a concern. Kelton's memo stated:

The Street and Bridge Division is currently working without its Superintendent, Supervisor and five Heavy Equipment Operator positions, one Maintenance worker position and one Shop Technician.

The lack of permanent divisional leadership during this training and reimplementation period is less than ideal. In an effort to ensure the success of the training and reimplementation of this machine and its process, I am assigning Patrick Frerich, Assistant Director of Operations, to oversee the daily operations of the Street and Bridge Division until permanent divisional leadership is established.

In summary, the expensive road refinishing equipment had a seal fall apart.  City Street and Bridge leadership fell apart and staff left in droves.  I can see why Shane Kelton sent a memo in a Friday packet.  A public presentation would have good leaders asking multiple why questions.

1.  Why did a seal fail in a new piece of $1.2 million equipment?
2.  Why did Street and Bridge leadership disappear?
3.  Why did Street and Bridge staff leave?  Was it related to either of the first two questions?
4.  Why does the City have to bring back the Benedetti people to train staff?  Why can't a local knowledge base be built for the expensive equipment that staff sold as the savior for some city roads?  The city knows how to make videos.  
5.  What role did Patrick Frerich play in questions 1-4?  If he helped turnover happen is he the right person to right the ship?  

The city has to patch up its road repair division so it can patch up city roads in disrepair.

The first streets that will be reworked with this machine are collectors and arterials that are candidates for mill and overlay rehabilitation. Such streets include: North Chadbourne from 29th Street to 47th Street and the 29th – Edmund – Glenna street segments.

City management has work to do.  It may need to start with itself.

Update 5-26-18:  The equipment came with a 12 month bumper to bumper warranty.  The city can require the vendor to buy back the equipment at 18 months.  City documents showed a "buyback guarantee:after 18 months, vendor option to repurchase the equipment, less half the current charge-out rate for recycling, multiplied by the total amount of square yards already completed."

Update 7-16-18:  City Councilman Lane Carter believes the Benedetti machine is critical to improving San Angelo's roads.  He told PIO Anthony Wilson that in a recent interview (at 10:50 mark).