County engineer briefs supervisors on mower failures and gravel-road mowing policy

Page County Engineer JD King told the Board of Supervisors the county’s Cat Challenger side mower suffered a dropped piston and would cost at least $35,000 to repair. He said the machine is “not worth that” and has been parked; as a result, the road crew has largely stopped routine gravel-road mowing this summer. Why it matters: Supervisors and staff discussed trade-offs between continuing gravel mowing (which removes vegetation and reduces snow drifting) and conserving equipment for paved roads. Buying a replacement tractor/mower would require a budget amendment and lead times are long. King described the county’s mowing fleet — two side mowers, a broom mower and a tractor with a batwing — and said the John Deere side mower was purchased in 2017 while the Cat Challenger was older. “We dropped a burner piston… it’s gonna take at least $35,000 to fix it and it’s not worth that,” King said. Board members asked about price estimates and availability. King said rough price ranges were discussed — a new mower/tractor package might be in the “150 to 250 thousand” range depending on attachments — and that the soonest new equipment could be delivered was next spring. He said the county’s current carryover balance was about $2.5 million and there would be money available if the board chose to amend the budget to buy a mower tractor. No formal motion was taken. The board asked staff to obtain firm price quotes and consider timing; staff will return with cost estimates and procurement options.