Council approves purchase of mini-excavator attachment and declares old mower surplus

The Beaver Dam Town Council approved purchasing a mini-excavator and discussed attachments and surplus of old equipment at Monday’s meeting. Public-works staff reported the town’s tractor with a long-boom mower is aging and proposed acquiring a mini-excavator with attachments as a lower-cost alternative that can perform ditch and roadside mowing work. Staff presented two price options: a diamond-brand mower attachment priced at about $10,900 and a preferred flail-style (mulching) attachment priced at about $13,400; the council approved the acquisition of the equipment option discussed and directed staff to proceed. Council members discussed that a flail-style attachment can mulch brush and cut small trees (staff said it can handle trees up to about 6 inches), that the mini-excavator can access places a tractor cannot, and that the town will keep the regular side-arm tractor in service while the new equipment is phased in. The motion approved purchasing the mini-excavator and attachment; staff said purchase timing could be flexible. Separately, the council approved declaring a 20-year-old grasshopper mower (described as in pieces and unusable) surplus and authorized disposal or sale for scrap/parts. No sale price was provided; staff said disposal or sale at scrap value was likely.