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Council approves purchase of new backhoe; partial DEP grant to cover portion of cost
Summary
Council authorized purchase of a 2025 John Deere backhoe to replace an aging 1987 unit; the transcript cites a DEP grant contribution of $68,002.50 and notes the remainder was budgeted, though the meeting transcript gives a garbled purchase amount and staff said full budgetary details will be handled in capital planning.
New Freedom Borough Council approved the purchase of a 2025 John Deere backhoe to replace an older 1987 machine the public works director said required frequent maintenance. Council discussion focused on equipment reliability, maintenance costs for aging machinery, and how much of the purchase would be covered by external funding.
During discussion staff and council members said a DEP grant will contribute $68,002.50 toward the purchase; council members confirmed the remainder was planned to come from borough capital funds or existing budgeted capital. The transcript recorded the purchase amount in garbled form during the meeting; council members and staff later clarified that a substantial portion of the purchase is funded by the grant and the remainder was included in the municipality's capital planning.
Public works staff described the operational risk of continuing to maintain the 1987 backhoe and emphasized the need for a reliable unit for emergency work (for example, water-main repairs at night). Council discussed resale or auction of the old unit, including selling with included buckets and attachments and bringing the sale back for council approval before disposal.
A motion to approve purchase and authorize the sale of the existing backhoe (subject to council approval of sale terms) passed. Council directed staff to include final sale terms and any follow-up budget adjustments at a subsequent meeting.
