Director Duvet, speaking for Carroll County’s Department of Public Works, reviewed the department’s draft budget and justified several modest increases tied to equipment, water treatment, and seasonal needs during the county’s Oct. 20 meeting.

Duvet said two line items are higher than normal and provided a written summary for commissioners. On the water side, he explained higher testing costs, the need to replace an aging chlorine pump and the purchase of a digital disinfectant‑by‑product testing kit (about $1,000) to improve measurement accuracy. He said a new, reliable chlorine pump costs roughly $1,000 and that the department recently bought and had rebuilt a pump.

For sewer operations and clarifiers, Duvet said replacement pumps that once cost a few hundred dollars are now closer to $1,500 each. The department typically replaces between two and four of nine clarifier pumps per year; Duvet proposed increasing the budget for pumps and equipment repairs accordingly.

Duvet also sought funds to resupply net‑wrap and baler twine used in hay operations, requested additional vehicle maintenance money (noting a set of plow‑truck tires and other expected winter costs), and proposed $2,000 increases for vehicle expenses and $1,000 for salt and sand. He described plans to better exercise and maintain gate valves annually and to start a regular maintenance schedule.

Equipment requests included funds to repair or replace a 15‑year‑old zero‑turn mower (tires estimated at about $500), skid‑steer track replacement and air‑conditioning repairs, replacement sweeper brushes for a skid‑steer attachment, and a sealed toolbox and replacement tools for confined‑space work. Duvet said repair costs for the skid‑steer had reached a point where the department previously considered trading the machine for a new unit; current estimates put a new comparable machine at about $42,000 with a potential trade allowance in the $30,000 range.

Duvet described a recurring operational expense for locating buried utilities and said he had contracted such a service after a recent hydrant replacement located fiber optic cable close to a new hydrant; he cited a one‑time locating cost near $1,500 for a small area. He recommended budgeting a contingency for future emergency locates tied to water projects.

Commissioners asked for clarifications about lines consolidated in the new presentation, debt and trade‑in assumptions for the skid‑steer, expected usage of salt and ice‑melt over winter, and whether some items could be deferred or covered by ARPA funds. Duvet said some new equipment purchases were already tied to ARPA water projects and that he would coordinate with county finance and IT staff on renewal timing for mapping and software subscriptions.

No formal vote was required during the presentation; commissioners directed staff to refine line‑item presentation and return with any needed clarifications for the next budget pass.