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Committee backs purchase recommendation for new commercial mower, authorizes trade‑in or auction
Summary
After reviewing two vendor quotes and trade‑in options, the committee recommended purchasing a new commercial mower (Jacobson/Toro options discussed) and authorized staff to proceed up to the quoted amount with trade‑in; members cited availability, parts and maintenance histories in the decision.
The Parks and Recreation Committee voted Feb. 23 to recommend moving forward with the purchase of a new commercial mower and authorized staff to proceed subject to the quoted upper limit and trade‑in, after a lengthy discussion about model availability, parts and lifecycle costs.
Staff presented two quotes: one from Horst Distributing for a Jacobson model (vendor reported some prior‑year stock may be available) and one from Reinders for a Toro model; trade‑in estimates differed substantially (approximately $18,000 reported for a Jacobson trade‑in versus roughly $8,000 for Toro). Staff said Jacobson has a local distributor and parts availability in Wisconsin, while Jacobson/Toro model reviews show some common issues across brands. The committee heard that the current mower has about 2,100 hours and has experienced recurring hydraulic and starting issues.
Committee members asked staff to probe whether previous‑year models in inventory could lower cost; staff said they would pursue that option if available. A motion to proceed with Horst Distributing (Jacobson) with an upper‑limit authorization and including trade‑in (or surplus auction if trade‑in is not used) passed by voice vote. The recommendation will be forwarded to the board for final approval and appropriation.
