Road department staff outlined equipment, rental and capital plans at the July 15 budget workshop, including short‑term rental and long‑term purchase options and a proposal to consolidate equipment sinking funds.

Road presenter Eric told commissioners he could rent a mini excavator for about $8,500 per year or purchase a like‑new machine for roughly $105,000. He recommended renting for immediate needs and saving annually into an equipment sinking fund to allow purchase in a future budget year, rather than buying outright this year.

Staff discussed account coding. Machine hire currently appears under a line item commonly used for contracted equipment rental; staff proposed creating a dedicated "machine rental" or "equipment rental" account for recurring rentals and a separate capital‑outlay line for an eventual excavator purchase. Eric proposed reclassifying the existing "motor grader" sinking fund as a broader equipment purchases fund so dollars could be used for graders, excavators, tractors and other major assets.

Commissioners and staff also discussed a planned pickup truck purchase (utility box, dually heavy‑duty, estimated around $31,000) and the recently approved purchase of other heavy attachments (the meeting referenced pending claims for a mulcher/wing unit). Staff said they will create the new account numbers and present a revised proposed budget showing machine‑rental, equipment sinking fund levels and capital outlay lines for commissioners to approve.

Next steps: budget staff to add an equipment rental account and capital outlay line for an excavator in the proposed budget; present revised figures at the next workshop so commissioners can consider whether to fund purchase or rent through future sinking‑fund accumulations.