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Grosse Ile approves purchase of CAT 420 backhoe, plans four-year payment
Summary
The township board approved buying a new CAT 420 backhoe for general DPS use, citing rising maintenance and downtime on the 17‑year‑old unit; the purchase will be financed over four years with a trade‑in credit applied to the first payment.
The Grosse Ile Township Board approved the purchase of a Caterpillar 420 backhoe at the Aug. 26 meeting after staff said the township’s existing 17‑year‑old unit required frequent maintenance. Treasurer Kevin moved the purchase; the motion passed by voice vote.
Derek, head of the Department of Public Services, said the current loader‑backhoe has roughly "about 3500 hours on it," has required increasing maintenance, and is the township’s only loader‑backhoe, so its downtime hampers operations. He said staff had demoed the CAT 420 for several weeks and preferred it to a smaller model. Derek described the 420 as a more capable, heavier unit that "digs deeper" and has a larger engine than the older 416 model.
The purchase price presented in the meeting materials was $140,125.26; Michigan CAT will apply a trade‑in credit for the existing unit to the first year’s payment. The remaining balance will be paid over four years with annual payments of $30,554.97, according to staff. A warranty package was described in the paperwork; staff said they would confirm warranty length with the vendor.
Derek said the replacement was part of the township’s capital improvement planning. Trustees asked about storage and servicing; Derek said the equipment is stored indoors and serviced at the Michigan CAT center. The board voted to approve the purchase; the clerk recorded the motion as carried by voice vote but did not read a roll‑call tally on the record.
Board members and staff said staying with the CAT brand supports operator familiarity and available nearby service centers. The item will be implemented by DPS under the capital replacement schedule.
