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Weber County staff propose updated equipment rates; labor rates already reviewed annually
Summary
Weber County staff told commissioners they updated county equipment rental rates for interlocal and external billing for the first time since 2018 and confirmed labor rates are reviewed yearly; staff said the county aims to cover costs and remain competitive with private contractors.
Weber County staff presented updated equipment rental rates and said labor rates are reviewed annually as part of interlocal and external billing. The update was presented as a due-diligence measure to bring equipment charges—last adjusted in 2018—into line with market comparisons and current county labor costs.
County staff said the equipment rates shown do not include operator labor, which is billed separately; the most recent county labor figure cited during the discussion was $47.31 per hour. Staff told commissioners they collected comparable rates from neighboring counties and private firms, including Box Elder County, EK Bailey, John Deere and Caterpillar, and used those as benchmarks when developing proposed rates.
Commissioners asked whether the county is making money on in-house rentals to other departments or cities. Staff said the objective is to recover the county’s costs rather than generate a profit and that charging county departments the same rate prevents subsidizing municipal services from the general fund. Staff added that county-provided equipment with operator is likely a lower cost alternative to hiring private contractors in many cases; one commissioner contrasted the county’s excavator rate with local private rates of about $170 an hour.
Questions from commissioners also covered mobilization/transport charges and whether specialized attachments (for example, “long stick” excavator booms) had separate rates; staff confirmed similar rates appear under the excavator line and committed to double‑checking specific line items. Commissioners asked about insurance and liability when county equipment is used off-site; staff said the county does not rent equipment without county operators and that liability is expected to be covered under the county’s operator policies but agreed to verify whether an explicit equipment-level insurance charge should be listed.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on the proposed schedule during the discussion; staff said the update was part of routine review and that they would follow up with requested clarifications. The presentation and follow-up questions took place during the commission’s discussion item on equipment fees and labor rates.
