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Mount Carmel council approves purchase of Vermeer directional drill to cut outsourced bore costs
Summary
The Mount Carmel City Council approved buying a Vermeer directional drill priced in the transcript at about $193,953 to reduce costly subcontracted horizontal drills and allow in-house bores; council authorized the purchase after a motion and recorded assent in roll call.
Mount Carmel City Council approved the purchase of a Vermeer directional drill to bring water- and sewer-bore work in-house and reduce reliance on outside contractors.
The price stated on the record was roughly $193,953, with a cited monthly payment figure of $3,850.40 and a financing term discussed at 60 months. Mayor (Speaker 1) told the council the city's current equipment is broken, subcontracted bores have cost roughly $4,000–$5,000 per job and the new unit would be expected to last 20–30 years. "This is something that we use on a regular basis, and ours is broke," Speaker 1 said during the discussion.
Council members debated leasing versus buying. Staff and members said a leasing plan would have cost more over time and that the purchase could be used to generate revenue by performing work for residents. A three-day local training for staff was included in the discussion, and speakers said the model and full package (trailer, water tank, bits and attachments) were in stock in Newbern.
Speaker 3 moved to authorize the purchase; Speaker 2 seconded. A roll-call vote followed and the motion passed as recorded in the meeting minutes.
Votes at a glance: the council approved (a) minutes from the Nov. 24, 2025 meeting earlier in the agenda, (b) the Vermeer directional drill purchase (price stated on the record ~ $193,953), and (c) the consent agenda to pay bills bearing proper signatures. The transcript records affirmative votes by roll call; individual vote tallies were recorded verbally during the meeting but are not consistently clear in the audio transcript.
The city said staff would budget the purchase for next year if needed; council discussion indicated the city may amortize payments and explore revenue-generating opportunities by offering bore services to residents. The equipment purchase was described as an operational necessity to avoid leaving service lines open while awaiting outside contractors and to reduce the risk of weather-related complications when work is delayed.
