CALUMET CITY, IL – Calumet City officials say they are confident that an old garbage truck converted into a graffiti-removal vehicle will dramatically help to keep the city clean, according to the Web site www.nwitimes.com/. City officials studied graffiti-removal methods used by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the city of Chicago, but decided they were not ideal for Calumet City. Some cities use either a sandblasting or baking-soda blasting method or a high pressure water unit to remove graffiti, using different vehicles for each method. However, that method was deemed too expensive for Calumet City. Officials then decided to convert an existing city garbage truck into an all-purpose graffiti-removal vehicle that would encompass both methods. The vehicle took about three and a half weeks to complete, the report said. The project’s cost was $3,763.88, which saved the city a total of $32,846.12.