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County and solid‑waste staff discuss shared skid‑steer purchase; commissioners consider split funding
Summary
Daniels County road and solid‑waste staff discussed jointly acquiring a tracked skid‑steer. Staff proposed shared use, debated 60/40 vs 50/50 splits, and compared new, used and lease options with warranty implications; commissioners asked staff to collect pricing and warranty details.
Daniels County road and solid‑waste staff discussed jointly acquiring a tracked skid‑steer and asked the board for direction on funding splits and procurement approach.
Road and solid waste supervisors outlined operational needs: snow removal at the solid‑waste facility, site cleanup, moving heavy materials and occasional lifting/digging tasks. Solid‑waste staff said their ability to clear the pad and perform yard work currently depends on the skid‑steer and that a reliable machine would reduce both departments' costs and downtime.
Staff presented options: buy new tracked units (several quoted models at roughly $74,200 to $88,700 with different chassis and features), buy used (lower cost but likely limited or partial warranty), lease programs (hour‑based or monthly payments) and repairs to the existing machine (repair estimate discussed was in the tens of thousands for the current machine). Several suppliers suggested trade‑in or salvage purchase options for the existing failed unit.
Commissioners and staff discussed fairness of cost splits. A proposal to split costs 60/40 (road/solid waste) was suggested during discussion; staff noted the machine would likely be based at the solid‑waste site and used frequently there while also being used by road crews for summer projects. Commissioners asked staff to provide firm quotes for a new unit (warranty details and hours), pricing for low‑hour used units and lease terms, and to obtain buyback/trade‑in estimates for the county’s broken machine.
Warranties and long‑term repair exposure were central to the discussion. Staff and commissioners noted that newer machines with warranty coverage can reduce unexpected repair spikes (one example cited: service call bills of multiple thousands of dollars). Commissioners asked staff to gather additional pricing information and to return with a recommendation that includes projected lifecycle costs, expected annual hours and warranty terms before any purchase decision.
No procurement motion was recorded in the transcript; commissioners directed staff to obtain quotes and to bring back options for a decision.
