[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6331793,"mediaKeyId","2309641-bac143488fcf1bb48e0b20a107d58a46","parentId",2309641,"title","Central Garage: equipment purchases planned, electric vehicle investments on hold as fleet ages","audioSeconds",1933,"startMs",3533000,"endMs",5466000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2309641-bac143488fcf1bb48e0b20a107d58a46&start=3533&end=5466","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2309641-bac143488fcf1bb48e0b20a107d58a46/thumbnail_3533000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6331793/Vermont/Central-Garage-equipment-purchases-planned-electric-vehicle-investments-on-hold-as-fleet-ages","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331793-9e04f971905e0a8646b438ae772195fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186841&Signature=SEBFDJTeCJR2vsYqG~6imc2OVSzgXzBmHAUz03Ppiexww-fVu56OJjw~FEM8HaouyGGg3tZOge9w6Zu0pGQj6seAaDTWfCTpSC76jmMOVRxbo1VRZbxUUXZWSDNTnbCXCX3ysDwozhy7-WCS1wpV1h9dGP-SnBG9kxkxtvr77vc~C2X-nYyPTQ8VQqoEVoK3E5ZBrsEK7y6gOTNfCPe6j3yVoco5lI8rJv0~Vk2EnR3Mkhhe5thgLU0LppFRnaBWbmTZUMuzrS7V4tOwJrH9nWy1BUjFdYFpUP1-rqSP4GotusXJjpWTOQq7ZbSo57yQJaD6cpDVbI2aJphBybjXQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-13T15:17:09Z","article","Dave Thurber, superintendent of the AOT Central Garage, told the Senate Transportation Committee the central garage’s FY26 equipment plan includes $9 million for purchases, with roughly $7 million earmarked for dump trucks and $6.7 million reflected as fleet depreciation. He said supply-chain timing has extended truck replacement cycles and that some vehicle categories are older than AOT’s target rotation.

Thurber described a roughly 4 percent increase in parts and equipment costs from FY25 to FY26 and said manufacturers’ production constraints have limited chassis and heavy-equipment availability. “The dump trucks will chew up about $7,000,000 of that,” Thurber said, and noted the agency keeps dump trucks about eight years when possible but now experiences longer rotations because new vehicles are delayed.

The central garage has approximately $9 million planned for equipment purchases in FY26; Thurber said the plan included 27 plow trucks but he would like to return to buying 30 per year to restore an eight-year rotation. He warned a fully aggressive purchasing plan would overspend the equipment fund by an estimated $2.6 million unless additional funding or adjustments are made.

On electrification, Thurber said the central garage has procured small electric machines (a mini excavator and a small wheel loader) and has chargers installed at some locations, but heavier medium- and heavy-duty electric equipment remains limited in availability and suitability for Vermont snow operations. An earlier $1.1 million allocation intended for electric purchases is effectively on pause because, Thurber said, manufacturers do not yet offer medium‑duty equipment that meets AOT’s operational needs. Michelle Boomhower, AOT director, confirmed the agency and CFO are evaluating CRP allocations and noted some CRP infrastructure uses are also under consideration.

Thurber provided lifecycle data on vehicles, reported heavier recent maintenance costs for older trucks and explained the central garage’s auction and surplus-sales process that funds a portion of equipment replacements. Committee members asked for verification of fleet-age dashboard numbers for single-axle and tandem-axle dump trucks; Thurber agreed to provide a verified report with updated counts and replacement plans.

Ending: The committee did not enact any budget action at the hearing. Members asked the central garage to return with verified fleet inventory and a revised equipment purchase plan showing realistic acquisitions given supply constraints and funding limits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Transportation - 2025-02-13 - 10:15AM","oneSentenceSummary","Central Garage Superintendent Dave Thurber told the Senate Transportation Committee that equipment costs and supply delays have increased fleet age; the office plans a $9 million equipment purchase program for FY26, but electric vehicle pilots funded from carbon-reduction monies are paused pending suitable equipment and infrastructure.","taxTitle","Senate Transportation, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",51841,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6331798,"AOT outlines FY26 maintenance budget, flags higher winter salt use and bridge needs",2555,355000,2910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2309641-bac143488fcf1bb48e0b20a107d58a46&start=355&end=2910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2309641-bac143488fcf1bb48e0b20a107d58a46/thumbnail_355000.jpg","/articles/6331798/Vermont/AOT-outlines-FY26-maintenance-budget-flags-higher-winter-salt-use-and-bridge-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331798-f08b0bd4a80d4012b71e4c78dbbbc47f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186841&Signature=PHihbwKymlpix1lYo71PVOFxC9kfwdMzG-QntqEwHubOWVrNH8G7wfuGXkwWHfiB8FvjmB6sqWASheB0Qc8FqGYqAtYE8mJAWhPs4lJahP96PUYRo~B-K5b48YDB7sE7sfg9GlUu~Z66EIic6Ldy61CcTMSWlKZlTTuu9SPZKUN0tPqeQpdCPda3nGJp~GJAwH8g4Xyq9k0Xonjva3Pd6gzudxZiM6j6Rgnfpfy~Bb8Vck9xzq1XxRxO1t5t8JBkrxNtxop9xn7MlWC4gXQkC2fShEGjIDQWlCZ4WE0zIKz3edVia77qE0BewQS6C2HXL9VwJA0VrfLOjs2esk4KfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gary Panno, director of maintenance for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 26 that the agency’s proposed FY26 maintenance budget focuses on large recurring tasks — staff training, technical assistance to towns, pavement patching, mowing, culvert work and bridge maintenance. He highlighted line items that exceed $500,000 and identified several areas where the committee requested further detail.

Panno said AOT proposes $1,500,000 for training and $1,555,000 for technical assistance, noting those figures reflect FY24 accomplishment quantities: “Training by AOT staff is the first one. It is $1,500,000,” he said, and “we spent 18,478 hours helping our towns” under technical assistance. He reported AOT plowed 1,000,529 miles in FY24 and that, to date this winter, the agency has used about 84,400 tons of salt compared with roughly 70,000 tons at the same point last winter.

The committee’s interest centered on where the largest budget movements occur and how current winter conditions might affect the maintenance budget. Panno said the agency is roughly halfway through its maintenance budget for the season and warned that if daily snowstorms continue the department could need additional funding within about 30 days. Committee members asked for a breakdown of the large line items — training, district leveling and equipment costs — and a multi-year comparison so the committee can see which items are increasing or decreasing.

Panno described specific maintenance activities and recent quantities: about 2,000 tons of pothole patch applied, roughly 3 miles of guardrail repaired statewide, about 535 tons of litter collected (including roughly 70 tons of tires) and nearly a mile of culverts replaced in the last reported year. He said guardrail repair is sometimes reimbursable if an accident report identifies an offender, but the agency does not always know who hit a rail.

Mowing and roadside habitat were a repeated focus. Panno explained federal funding and safety guidance require clearing a “clear zone” beside many roads; at the same time AOT has for about 15 years limited “mowback” to about one-third of acreage in a given corridor to protect pollinators. “We purposely save in that 10 miles that they're pushing back. We train our mowers if they notice a huge patch of milkweed, mow around,” Panno said.

Bridge maintenance drew attention because of federal requirements and cost. Panno said the agency must inspect or walk 50% of its bridges each year and wash superstructures and bearings to limit chloride damage. He noted some bridge-related activities are federally mandated and thus not discretionary: “Some of those, like bridge washing, have mandates from federal highway,” a committee member noted and Panno agreed. The presentation included a separate, larger request for medium bridge repair funding; Panno said those needs are under discussion with federal partners.

Panno also described a drawbridge the agency is preparing to maintain under contract. He said the drawbridge is technologically complex, not primarily mechanical like older bridges, and the agency has put a maintenance contract out to bid with an estimated contract value around $1,000,000; bids were expected in March.

Committee members pressed Panno for forthcoming reports: a line-item comparison showing where the biggest year-to-year movements are, verification of the portion of guardrail repairs reimbursed, and alerts if the winter budget approaches a tipping point so the committee can consider supplemental funding.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action at the hearing. Members asked AOT staff to return with the requested breakdowns and comparisons; Panno said he would provide those details and follow up on specific counts and reimbursements the committee asked to verify.","Agency of Transportation Director of Maintenance Gary Panno presented the department's proposed FY26 maintenance budget to the Senate Transportation Committee, highlighting million-dollar line items, rising salt use this winter and planned work on bridges and a drawbridge contract out to bid.","actionData","errors"]

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Central Garage: equipment purchases planned, electric vehicle investments on hold as fleet ages

AOT outlines FY26 maintenance budget, flags higher winter salt use and bridge needs