Coffee County highway commissioners weigh buying new mowing tractor as Johnson grass surge strains crews

Coffee County Highway Commission members on July discussed purchasing a replacement mowing tractor, ongoing staffing changes and how unusually heavy Johnson grass and wet weather are stretching maintenance operations.

At the meeting, Benton, a Coffee County highway commission member, said the department has a tractor with about 12,000 hours that was overhauled during the winter (parking pawl and transmission work) and is running but “past due.” He said the commission is considering whether to buy a new tractor or a differently branded machine and noted that a new hydrostatic mower could let a single operator mow from the shoulder to the ditch but would likely be slower than using two mowers.

The discussion centered on trade-offs between equipment capability and crew deployment. Benton said a hydrostatic machine “can do it all” but likely would be slower than two mowers because it would have only one operator; he added that, if affordable, the department might still add another tractor later. Commissioners and staff also described operational constraints: the size of roadside vegetation, frequent rain, and limited available crew hours make keeping up difficult.

Commissioners said Johnson grass has been particularly aggressive this season and will likely remain a problem through September. Benton described how the plant grows quickly after rain and becomes hard to cut, saying in the meeting that at times it reaches several feet in height and is “like cutting rope.” Members discussed tools such as a wick bar or a side-mounted broom and the possible use of a hand wand for trimming around poles and intersections, but no purchase decision was made.

On staffing, commissioners said one truck driver will leave in July and that a replacement is scheduled to start the following Monday. The commission also provided raises to employees this week, which Benton said had been positively received by crews.

The discussion did not include a formal vote on equipment purchases; commissioners said they are continuing price research and have made no final decision.

Looking ahead, commissioners asked staff to continue evaluating equipment options and staffing needs while monitoring Johnson grass growth and weather impacts on mowing schedules.