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Custer County approves $22,000 purchase of used belly-dump trailer to speed road work
Summary
The Custer County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 9 authorized a $22,000 purchase of a used belly-dump trailer for Road and Bridge operations, to be paid from capital improvement cash reserves; commissioners asked staff to prepare a budget amendment.
Custer County commissioners on Jan. 9 voted to authorize the Road and Bridge department to purchase a used belly-dump trailer for $22,000, aiming to reduce hauling turnaround times on long-distance material runs.
The trailer is a used 2005 model that the Road and Bridge supervisor, Vince, said will require about $3,000 in work — new tires and brake work — to be road-ready. “We could be more efficient,” Vince said, describing current turnaround times of roughly an hour and 30 minutes per load on long hauls and the strain that creates on crews and equipment. The board approved using capital improvement cash reserves to cover the purchase and directed staff to prepare a budget amendment to move the money into the proper fund.
Why it matters: County officials said an additional trailer will let crews continue operations when one truck is out for repairs and reduce contractor rental costs during asphalt and chip-seal work. Vince and other road staff noted that when a county truck fails during paving, hiring a contractor to haul material can be costly; a contractor rate cited during discussion was about $150 per hour.
Discussion and funding: Commissioners and staff described trade-offs between buying new equipment and acquiring used units to stretch limited funds. A staff member told the board the county has about $1.1 million in reserves in the capital improvement account and suggested using that cash reserve rather than operations money. The board asked county staff (Albert and Rothlaw) to draft a budget amendment resolution for the next meeting to authorize the transfer.
Motion and vote: A motion to authorize Vince to proceed with the purchase, with funds coming from the capital improvement account, passed. Three commissioners vocalized “aye” and the chair declared the motion carried.
Details not specified in the meeting transcript: vendor name for the trailer, license/registration status after purchase, and the exact schedule for the $3,000 repairs were not specified during the discussion. The board directed staff to finalize logistics with the seller and present the budget amendment for formal adoption at the next meeting.
Ending: Commissioners instructed staff to complete the paperwork and to return with the budget amendment for final accounting; county staff said they would contact the seller and proceed after the board’s authorization.
