As neighbors, the city of Oerlinghausen and the municipality of Leopoldshöhe have numerous points of contact. So it makes sense to work together as well as possible. The latest example is a new sweeper.
“Hand in hand for a clean community” can be read on the side of the “Swingo 200+”, and the two coats of arms are also attached for clarity. Because the municipalities procured the vehicle together and shared the costs.
The machine has been sweeping in both communities since last year. There were several meetings before the purchase to determine the need. The solution found “serves to simplify work processes,” said Oerlinghausen's Mayor Dirk Becker. Gerhard Schemmel, his colleague from Leopoldshöhe, agreed. "When it comes to intermunicipal cooperation, you sometimes have to dig a thick board," he stated. “But here we have a nice symbol that it works well.” After all, you don't have to do everything yourself, especially since public tasks are becoming more and more diverse. The cooperation works very well and is based on trust. “For example, we don't argue about who has to clean the windows or who has to fill up,” said Schemmel. A total of six building yard employees are familiar with the vehicle in both municipalities.
The fire brigade can also use the vehicle
"The fire brigade can also use the sweeper, for example to remove traces of oil," explained Oerlinghausen's depot manager Thomas Kronshage. His Leopoldshöher colleague Andreas Glatthor mentioned other areas of application: Large areas such as schoolyards are swept with it, leaves on sidewalks can be picked up as well as the remains of New Year's Eve bollards. "We recently cleaned a bridge with high pressure, it was super-clean," reported Glatthor.
The building authority managers Helmut Holthöfer and Dirk Puchert-Blöbaum referred to the unbureaucratic nature of the cooperation. So an agreement on practical handling was concluded. This stipulates that maintenance and possible repair costs are also shared. Simple but effective principles apply in each case, for example: "The vehicle is always handed over with a full tank."