Council awards $306,709.25 bid for boom mower to Jensen Tractor Ranch

The Stillwater City Council on Monday approved a bid award to Jensen Tractor Ranch for an Intergreen (Energreen/Intergreen) communal boom mower at a cost of $306,709.25 and approved an associated budget amendment using stormwater funds. Public Works Director Mark White described a multi-vendor evaluation and said fleet staff prioritized safety, noise, ease of operation and serviceability. "We just thought this was by far the better machine," White said after demonstrations at Myers Park of three competing units. White told council the city's previous boom mower (unit 5568, a 1995 tractor) suffered transmission damage and could not be repaired because replacement parts are no longer available. Fleet mechanics and equipment operators attended on-site demonstrations at the same slope and grass to compare performance. White said the Intergreen had the boom positioned in front of the operator (allowing forward sightlines), was the least noisy, used conventional hydraulic controls that mechanics could service, and had a local dealer in Oklahoma City. White also noted examples from other jurisdictions about parts and electronic reliability for competing machines. He said Jensen Tractor Ranch could deliver the machine in two to four weeks and that legacy machines of the Intergreen type are still in service in other U.S. jurisdictions. Councilors asked about durability and lifecycle; White cited working models in College Station, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A council member said ergonomics and serviceability justified selecting a higher-priced bid over the low bidder. The council motion to accept staff's recommendation passed 5-0. Why it matters: city crews have been unable to adequately maintain drainage areas since November 2024 after the boom mower unit failed. The new equipment is intended to restore routine maintenance of drainways along roadways and parks and is charged to the stormwater fund.