Glacier County commissioners approve purchase of mini excavator for West End Cemetery

Glacier County commissioners voted Jan. 13 in Browning to allow the West End Cemetery to purchase a 2026 CAT mini excavator after county staff and cemetery representatives outlined equipment failures and recurring contractor costs.

County staff told commissioners the county solicited Sourcewell quotes and that CAT provided a Sourcewell quote of $61,815. “Volvo and Bobcat were a nonresponse, and Cat provided a Sourcewell quote for us for $61,815,” a county staff member said. Staff said the prior financing proposal included a balloon payment and that the vendor reworked payment options at staff request.

The staff presentation included an estimated annual payment schedule with a first-year payment of about $12,900 and subsequent annual payments around $14,000 for the remaining years; staff said removing the balloon payment made the plan a better fit for the cemetery. The staff member noted West End Cemetery’s cash balance is $95,681 and said purchasing the machine could free money previously spent on contractors: “If we look at currently that Cemetery has a cash balance of $95,681 ... this should eliminate all need to pay a contractor there,” the staff member said.

Cemetery representatives described an aging backhoe that can barely be driven forward and backward, and they said contracting grave-digging services cost the cemetery roughly $50,000–$57,000 last year. One representative said the backhoe “just get wore out and we can't do it” and that ownership would reduce reliance on outside contractors and the associated expense.

Commissioners asked practical questions about machine availability, down payment and winter performance. Staff said a machine is reserved and available and that no down payment would be required if the commission approved entering the purchase agreement. Commissioners and presenters also discussed operational concerns such as frozen ground and deep snow in parts of the cemetery and possible future purchases (for example, a ground blanket for frozen conditions) to supplement the excavator’s capabilities.

Cemetery speakers also outlined other site needs discussed during the presentation, including shop improvements, recordkeeping updates, repair or replacement of fencing, security cameras, a water-pumping system the presenters said had failed, volunteer help for leveling sites, and the purchase of a lowering device for burials (estimated at $10,000–$15,000). Presenters proposed buying a professional cemetery database to replace spreadsheet records and asked about expanding the cemetery board from three to five members; county staff said expansion would likely require a resolution and public notice, with commissioners retaining appointment authority.

A commissioner moved to permit West End Cemetery to purchase the 2026 CAT mini excavator for the quoted amount; another commissioner seconded the motion. The commission voted in favor; the motion passed. Commissioners and staff said they would finalize purchase paperwork and return a clean lease or purchase agreement for signatures.

The commission did not record a roll-call vote with individual names in the transcript; the motion passed by unanimous voice vote recorded in the meeting minutes. The cemetery representatives invited commissioners to inspect recent shop improvements after the meeting.