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Highway staff recommend shedding underused heavy equipment as department reviews fleet liabilities
Summary
Highway Department staff presented a detailed equipment inventory and recommended disposing of an underused D8 dozer while assessing other heavy-equipment needs to reduce depreciation and operating liabilities.
Highway Department staff presented the committee with a full inventory of heavy equipment and recommended the county dispose of a rarely used D8 dozer, citing low utilization and ongoing depreciation costs.
Josh, Highway Department staff, said the d8 dozer “primarily sits in a horse barn up in the sand the old sand pit that we have, and we barely use that piece of equipment. It needs to go down the road.” He told the committee the office manager had reviewed three years of annual costs, revenue charged to each machine and hours of use to determine whether the county should keep pieces of equipment or transition to rental arrangements for occasional needs.
The inventory review noted changes already made to the fleet: the county no longer owns multiple loaders (now relying on rentals), graders were reduced from three to two with a future assessment possible, and several rollers and other machines were flagged for utilization review. Staff also pointed out excavators receive heavy use year-round and that two skid steers (one leased, one owned) are used commonly.
Staff explained that equipment costs on the county books include operating costs (fuel, labor, parts) as well as a state-prescribed depreciation calculated over a 10-year basis; even idle equipment generates depreciation expense that negatively affects the department’s equity. The committee asked for a follow-up list showing which pieces staff recommend retaining and which could be disposed of or rented for occasional needs; staff agreed to return with that list at the next meeting.
No formal action to sell equipment was approved at the meeting; the committee directed staff to prepare recommendations for disposal or retention based on hours, revenue charged, and long-term needs.
