On Second Thought, Melrose Purchasing New $243K Street Sweeper

MELROSE, MA — When we last left the street sweeper saga, the motion for the Appropriations Committee to recommend the $243,000 purchase for passage failed — or so it seemed.

Clerk of Committees Kristen Foote tallied the votes — four No, seven Yes — and declared the motion had failed. No one said otherwise, and businesses continued.

But at Monday's City Council meeting, the street sweeper purchase appeared on the agenda with a recommendation for passage. And pass it did, picking up two more Yes votes.

"When in Appropriations, we do not need the supermajority vote (eight Yes,) so I know there was some confusion about that," Appropriations Chair Chris Cinella said. "You can blame that on the Chair."

In the end, the Department of Public Works was granted its request for a new $243,000 street sweeper, with funds coming out of the Capital Stabilization Fund. The previous sweeper had been on its last legs even before a brakes malfunction sent it sliding backward down a hill in June, DPW Director Elena Proakis Ellis said.

Councilors Mark Garipay and Cory Thomas accounted for the new Yes votes, leaving Councilors Robb Stewart and Shawn MacMaster as the No votes.

"I was not opposed to doing something with regards to a street sweeper," Garipay said Monday. He said in the previous meeting he wanted to exhaust all options before making such a sizable purchase, but a talk with City Auditor Patrick Dello Russo helped bring him on board.

Thomas also had wanted to explore more options.

Read more: Council Sweeps Away City's Street Sweeper Request

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi and subscribe to Melrose Patch for free daily newsletters and local news alerts.