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Stevens County authorizes purchase of 2025 tractor, approves disposals and equipment replacement schedule
Summary
The Stevens County Board authorized purchase of a Case IH 6160CVT tractor (approximately $235,000), agreed to dispose of a 1995 Ford tractor at auction, and reviewed a multi‑year equipment replacement plan and financing options including lease proposals.
The Stevens County Board authorized county staff to order a Case IH 6160CVT tractor after a multi‑week procurement review and directed staff to return with financing details before executing any lease or municipal loan.
The request presented to the board described two comparable vendor quotes and a municipal lease ballpark from CapFirst Financial. Brian and staff said the Case quote was about $235,000. "So what we're asking for today is, is permission to purchase the ... Case IH6160CVT," a presenter said. The board moved and seconded the purchase authorization and approved it by voice vote; the board agreed financing (lease vs. cash) would be decided later.
Key financing and cost details presented to the board included a quoted seller price of about $235,000, and a municipal-lease estimate Staff reported a sample five‑year lease payment of $46,685 per year at an indicative rate near 5.692%. Becky and staff said they would return with firm financing terms when the county was ready to execute paperwork.
The board also voted to dispose of an older tractor (1995 Ford 6640) through public sale "with no reserve," as recommended in the packet. The road-and-bridge presentation included a broader equipment-replacement worksheet showing planned purchases over a five‑ to ten‑year horizon (motor graders, wheel loaders, tractors, pick-ups) and projected 2025 equipment expenditures of roughly $500,000 in total; staff said they expected to be under budget by "about $15,000 or $20,000" if estimates hold.
Staff described operational uses for the new equipment: ditch mowing, snow blowing, shoulder conditioning and other seasonal road work. They also described plans to refurbish or build a 4,000‑gallon water/tanker unit as a lower‑cost alternative to replacement and to use a newly acquired 16‑foot snow pusher on the wheel loader.
The board asked that financing for the tractor purchase be brought back as a separate approval. "We will bring back the financing as a separate approval," staff said. Commissioners also discussed whether to borrow internally from the general fund or use a municipal lease, and asked staff to examine rules (resolutions/statute) and interest treatment if funds were advanced between county funds.
Ending: Staff will place the order if authorized, finalize financing options and return with firm loan/lease paperwork for board approval; the county will put the older tractor up for public sale.
