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Commission debates buying used grader/blade; RDO offers unit at $130,000, decision deferred to special meeting
Summary
Road staff reported a used grader could be purchased for $130,000 after shop warranty work of $40,000–$50,000; commissioners debated staffing, operating costs and inspection guarantees and agreed to hold a special meeting to decide.
Griggs County road staff and commissioners spent a substantial portion of the Nov. 10 meeting discussing whether to purchase a used grader/blade from RDO.
Staff presented the purchase option: RDO had completed warranty shop work estimated at $40,000–$50,000 and said it would sell the machine back to the county for $130,000 (the county would also pay trucking and needs to replace windows). "They will sell it back to us for 130,000, and we are responsible for trucking it back to Cooperstown," a staff member said after a phone call with the RDO representative.
Commissioners debated the operational case. Some argued buying a spare ready-to-run machine would reduce downtime when county blades fail; others said the county lacks budgeted funds for an additional operator (the expected cost of a new operator was discussed at about $80,000 annually) and cautioned that buying a machine without an operator or a firm total cost analysis could be fiscally risky.
Several commissioners urged requiring pre‑ and post‑haul inspections for any projects (especially the pipeline project discussed earlier) and having the project proponents reimburse the county for those inspection costs. They also discussed requiring formal road‑use agreements and detailed specifications for how open cuts would be restored on paved roads.
Given unresolved pricing, operation and staffing questions, the commission agreed to schedule a special meeting in the next few days to finalize a decision so any purchase could be considered before the fiscal-year close.
