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Clay County OKs purchase of three John Deere motor graders, shifts internal-service funds to cover shortfall
Summary
The board approved buying three John Deere motor graders from RDO Equipment of Moorhead and authorized an internal-service fund transfer to cover a roughly $304,000 shortfall; staff said two county-owned units would be put up for sale later to replenish funds.
The Clay County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of three John Deere motor graders and an internal-service fund (ISF) transfer to offset a shortfall in replacement funding.
Justin of the highway department told the board the county was about $304,000 short in the internal-service fund for the replacement cycle. Staff proposed using ISF balances associated with three underused county pieces of equipment (Unit 153, Unit 176 and Unit 201) to cover the gap; if those ISF funds were transferred as recommended, the presenter said the ISF would show an excess of roughly $14,000. Staff said they plan to return to the board later with a proposal to sell two of the traded units and apply proceeds toward future replacements.
The highway presenter recommended purchasing the three motor graders from RDO Equipment of Moorhead, noting the county had evaluated both John Deere and Caterpillar machines and recommended John Deere for overall cost and operator preference (steering-wheel configuration). The board discussed warranty terms (seven years / 8,000 hours) and usage patterns; staff said hours vary by operator and weather.
A motion to approve the purchase (individual unit prices were read into the record) and to transfer $318,844.50 from internal-service balances to offset the purchase passed on a voice vote. Commissioners noted the Highway Tracking Committee had recommended moving forward.
Staff told the board two of the existing pieces of equipment earmarked to offset the purchase were not being used routinely and would be considered for sale at a later meeting. The presenter said he would research minimum acceptable sale prices and confirm whether those units still receive ISF deposits.
