Levee authority asks for $300,000 pipe inspection and $45,000 mower in mostly flat budget

A presenter for the countywide taxing district administered by the city of Evansville told the joint Evansville–Vanderburgh budget session that the authority’s operating budget is largely unchanged but flagged two capital needs for next year: videotaping levee-system pipes and replacing an aging mower.

The presenter said the videotaping work — intended to run camera inspections through lines that run through the levee system and confirm their condition for the Army Corps and FEMA — is “we're estimating 300,000.” The authority also seeks a Ventrac mower priced at about $45,000 to replace one machine the presenter described as “going on 20 years old” and increasingly costly to maintain.

Councilmembers asked whether wider batwing-style mowers, which cut wider swaths of grass, had been considered. The presenter said past use of batwing mowers proved impractical in many levee and greenway areas because of pitch and access differences in urban sections compared with interstate embankments, and he warned heavier equipment can accelerate erosion on levees. One councilmember emphasized safety concerns on steep banks and suggested larger tractors and mowers could reduce rollover risk; the presenter responded that equipment weight and the pitch of some levees limit that option.

The presenter said most utility operating lines—electric, water and gas—will remain similar in cost next year and noted the authority recently moved into a new building and plans an open house once it is ready.

The authority did not present a formal motion or vote; the items were presented for budget consideration and have not been approved. No ordinance or funding source for the proposed capital work was specified during the presentation. The session moved on after questions and brief discussion.