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Story County approves ordering wheeled excavator after repeated repairs to aging machine
Summary
Supervisors voted to approve ordering a new wheeled excavator to be paid out of the fiscal 2026 budget after staff described multiple large repairs and a five-month lead time. Payment will likely fall in FY26; staff said the county can still use an older bucket until delivery.
Story County supervisors voted Feb. 4 to approve ordering a new wheeled excavator that county staff said is needed after repeated major repairs to the current machine.
County staff member Darren Moon told the board his department’s current John Deere excavator is about 14 years old and has been heavily used year-round. “We have had two $20,000 repairs in the last two years,” Moon said, and the machine recently suffered a broken front bucket that would cost about $25,000 to repair. He said there is typically a five-month waiting period to receive a new machine.
Moon asked the board to allow staff to place the order now so the machine could arrive in mid-summer; he said payment would be due on delivery and thus would likely be charged to fiscal year 2026. “On delivery. So more than likely, it'll still come out at FY26,” Moon said.
Supervisors moved and seconded approval to place the order. The recorded vote was in the affirmative: Supervisor Hazel, aye; Supervisor Linda Merkin, aye; Supervisor Edens, aye. The board did not approve immediate payment; Moon said the purchase will be included in the department’s FY26 budget request and staff can adjust other equipment requests if needed.
Moon said the county could continue to operate the existing machine with a less-capable bucket until the replacement arrives but that long-term maintenance costs have been high. He said cumulative repairs on the aging machine have exceeded typical expectations for its service life.
Ending: Staff will place the order and return budget documentation in the FY26 budget process; the new machine is expected to arrive after the standard lead time and payment will likely be booked to FY26.
