LaSalle County approves tractor and mower purchases, renews weather-station lease; backhoe replacement deferred

The LaSalle County Highway Committee approved several equipment and supply actions: purchase of a tractor from Heritage Tractor of Mendota listed at $59,229.74, purchase of two batwing mowers from Stoler International for $40,254 total, renewal of a one-year lease for Frost Mini Weather Stations at the same shared cost of $9,000, and procurement of 1,600 tons of special aggregate deicer at a delivered price the meeting recorded as $9.50 per ton.

Committee members described the purchases as Sourcewell-priced procurements (a cooperative purchasing program). The tractor and mowers were approved by voice vote during the meeting. The weather-station lease was renewed with no price increase, and staff said the system’s burst-photo feature had been added this year; the equipment helped staff monitor road conditions countywide during weather events.

Staff also reported surplus-equipment auction receipts totaling $14,700 and discussed a 2001 backhoe whose transmission recently failed. Repair estimates were discussed in the meeting—staff said a transmission replacement would cost roughly $35,000 while the machine’s expected auction value would be about $22,000—prompting members to defer an immediate replacement. The presenter said the department has $272,000 remaining in the equipment line but also has planned purchases for plows and other apparatus; staff proposed bringing a backhoe purchase to the committee next month for formal action.

Committee members noted that the department’s six-year equipment and resurfacing program is largely on schedule and that some bridge projects remain more costly and are scheduled later. The committee approved the listed purchases and asked staff to return next month with options on the backhoe replacement and any necessary bidding details.