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Scott County awarded $15,000 Iowa DOT grant to buy drum mulcher for roadside management
Summary
Staff told the board the county received a $15,000 Living Roadway Trust Fund grant from the Iowa DOT toward a $36,279 Diamond ODS 060 Pro X drum mulcher; staff recommended approving the grant agreement and purchasing the mulcher with the balance covered from the equipment budget.
County staff told supervisors the county was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Living Roadway Trust Fund to help buy a Diamond ODS 060 Pro X drum mulcher.
Roads staff described the mulcher as an operational improvement that will open sight lines, reduce herbicide use, produce smaller, manageable debris, and reduce cleanup staffing needs. The quoted price was $36,279; staff said the remaining $21,279 would come from the county equipment budget and that the existing skid‑steer rotary mower is expected to be sold (estimated resale value $10,000).
“We did demo this for about three months last fall, and our operators found the mulcher easy to use, was more efficient, quicker to clean up, it produces a more uniform mulch, and provided a safer work area during operation,” roads staff said. Staff recommended approving the Iowa DOT agreement and moving forward with the purchase from Diamond Mowers; Christina Lyon reviewed the agreement and confirmed its drafting was sufficient.
Supervisors asked about where mulch would be left versus removed and how the mulcher might reduce staffing for cleanup. Roads staff said in many rural areas mulch can be left; in other cases it will be collected, and that the equipment can process material up to about 9‑inch diameter according to specs.
What’s next: staff recommended approving the grant agreement and authorizing the purchase; board discussion was recorded but no formal vote on the purchase appears in the transcript.
