Council authorizes purchase of wide-area Toro mower; cost slightly over budget due to tariffs

The Watertown City Council on July 21 authorized the Parks Division to purchase a 2025 Toro Groundmaster 4100-D wide-area mower under a Sourcewell cooperative contract. City staff described the unit as having an in-excess-of-11-foot cutting deck and said it will be used to maintain athletic facilities across the city park system. Cost and procurement: City staff stated the mower purchase is being made through a Sourcewell sourcing contract. The price discussed in the meeting was about $262,600, which staff described as approximately $3,000 over the budgeted amount because Toro has added a surcharge related to tariffs. Staff said the machine will replace a mower acquired in 2006 that has about 5,900 hours, and the new machine is expected to last roughly 10 years. Why it matters: The mower is a capital equipment replacement for park maintenance with an immediate operational impact on athletic-field care. Staff said they expect to see some inflationary pressure from tariffs and that such cost pressures will be considered in the 2026 budget. Action: Motion to authorize the purchase was made by Councilman Mormon (recorded as motion-maker), seconded by Councilman Shutti; the council approved the purchase by roll-call vote. Next steps: The procurement will proceed under the Sourcewell contract; finance staff will account for the budget variance and anticipate potential tariff-driven price pressures in next year’s budget planning.