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County engineer seeks approvals for FY26 equipment purchases and updates road-repair schedule
Summary
Heath Sexton, county engineer, asked commissioners to approve recurring software and wildlife-service agreements and to permit letters of intent for FY26 purchases of a backhoe and track excavator; he also reported updates on several road projects and requested surplus or transfer authority for older equipment.
Heath Sexton, Chilton County engineer, told commissioners he will seek approval for several recurring agreements and asked permission to begin procurement procedures for equipment budgeted in fiscal year 2026.
Sexton said the county will again contract for the fiscal year 2026 diversified computer services software agreement with a mobile app option and the FY26 USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services cooperative agreement, both renewals of existing arrangements.
He also requested commission approval to issue a letter of intent and later a purchase order next fiscal year for a replacement backhoe and a track excavator. Sexton said delivery times mean the new equipment would not arrive until after the fiscal year begins; the backhoe may take about five months and the excavator about a month to be delivered once ordered. Commissioners discussed whether to buy new or refurbish existing machines. One commissioner said a prior estimate to rebuild the existing machine was about $227,000; Sexton recommended getting an inspection quote to determine whether targeted repairs would be more cost-effective than full refurbishment or replacement.
Sexton raised longer-term procurement considerations: parts availability, service and vendor support, and the reduced commonality for some specialty equipment in the region. He also asked the commission to consider using existing purchasing agreements to acquire the machines and attachments discussed.
On fleet and shop staffing, Sexton reported that the county has had few qualified applicants for the shop foreman position and that shop staffing remains a challenge.
Maintenance and road project updates: Sexton reported several near-term project milestones. A caution light in Maplesville is scheduled for installation this week; contractors are expected to return to repair short asphalt sections on County Road 49; guardrail replacement on Kent Road 4049 is complete and permanent striping is expected after final work; and the contractor for the Kent Road 16 bridge improvement project has been asked to provide bonds and insurance and is expected to sign within a few weeks. Sexton said the county will move to apply wearing surfaces to roads where reconstruction is complete when timing and contractor schedules permit.
Sexton also requested commission approval to surplus an inoperable ice maker and small poly motors and dispose of them via GovDeals.
Ending: Sexton asked the commission to approve the listed agreements and allow staff to proceed with procurement and surplus actions; commissioners asked staff to obtain refurbished-vs-replace cost estimates and to pursue inspections and quotes before final procurement.
