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Commission approves unscheduled replacement front loader; staff cites repeated failures and high repair costs
Summary
Council authorized purchase of a replacement front loader (trade-in applied), citing repeated bell-housing failures, roughly $15,000 in repairs since 2019 and sufficient funds in the equipment reserve (Fund 53).
The Ottawa City Commission on April 9 approved the unscheduled purchase of a replacement front loader after staff presented maintenance history and bid results.
City Manager Silcott presented the request on behalf of Director DJ Welsh and described the vehicle as “loader 148, which is a 2001 K621 C that has approximately 8,000 of operation and has essentially reached its end of useful life.” He said the city had spent “a minimum of $15,000 in repair parts” on the machine since 2019 and that the bell housing had cracked three times; the most recent repair estimate for that component was about $20,000.
Staff solicited four bids and received three. The preferred dealer’s offer, with trade-in, resulted in a net price that included a $179,652 trade-in allowance. Silcott said the purchase would be charged to Fund 53, the general fund equipment reserve, and that the city has sufficient fund balance and expenditure authority to make the unplanned purchase without internal offsets or a supplemental appropriation.
Street Superintendent Chad Bentley and fleet mechanic Chris Ravey were present to answer technical questions about the loader’s use in flood-control gate work, log-jam removal and snow clearing. Commissioners noted the machine’s importance for winter operations and floodgate maintenance; staff said delivery was estimated at about 14 days.
A motion to approve the purchase carried on a roll-call vote with affirmative votes recorded from Commissioner Crowley, Commissioner Skidmore, Commissioner Kaler, Mayor Pro Tem Clayton and Mayor Allen.
