Landfill manager seeks bids to replace overheating dozer; staff will trade or sell machine and pursue used D6
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Summary
Landfill operations staff reported a frontline dozer is overheating frequently and out of warranty with about 12,000 engine hours; staff requested permission to go to bid to trade or sell the machine and seek a right‑sized used D6 dozer, using insurance proceeds plus trade‑in to fund the purchase.
The city’s landfill manager told the council a primary dozer used in daily compaction and pushing operations is failing: it is out of warranty, showing about 12,000 engine hours and overheating intermittently, causing repeated 15–20 minute cool‑down periods that interrupt operations. Staff requested authority to solicit bids, use insurance proceeds and trade the existing machine toward a used, lower‑hour dozer (a D6 or similar) better sized to the site’s reduced tonnage.
The landfill manager said the current Liebherr dozer “overheats basically every 15, 20 minutes,” and that the manufacturer’s technician and the city mechanic have not been able to fix the recurring fault. The machine is out of warranty and has heavy hours; staff said insurance proceeds and the trade‑in value could be applied to purchase a used D6 with substantially fewer hours and an extended warranty, if available.
Why it matters: The dozer is described as the landfill’s workhorse: constant use keeps daily operations moving. Frequent downtime reduces productivity and can create truck backups at the site. Staff said right‑sizing to a slightly smaller dozer (D6 class) would match a lower future tonnage forecast and prolong the next machine’s service life under the revised operating tempo.
Procurement plan and financial considerations
Staff asked council to approve going to bid and to allow the current Liebherr to be offered as trade‑in or sale, with findings to be reported back to council for purchase approval. The manager said they will evaluate used machines with low engine hours (for example under 3,000 hours) and seek available warranty packages; he noted leasing is typically more expensive and that renting or leasing is reserved for short‑term emergencies.
Next steps
Council members asked for estimated purchase costs, and staff said they will return with bid results and a net purchase price that accounts for trade‑in value and available insurance funds. No purchase was authorized at the study session; staff will prepare a formal bid package and present it at the next council meeting for approval.
Ending
Officials said they will move forward with soliciting bids, report the trade‑in estimate for the current machine and return with a recommended purchase option after evaluating the used‑equipment market and warranty offers.