Environmental Resources Manager Nicole Riley recommends City Council approve $573,818 purchase of Caterpillar wheel loader

Nicole Riley, Environmental Resources manager, told the Public Works and Transportation Committee on May 26 that the Environmental Resources Division is recommending the City Council approve a purchase order with Quinn Company for a new 2026 Caterpillar 950 wheel loader, with a total cost not to exceed $573,818.15.

The division, which provides municipal solid-waste collection and processing, serves roughly 41,077 customer accounts and processes about 297,000 tons of material annually, Riley said. She told the committee that heavy equipment in solid-waste service experiences substantial wear; wheel loaders in that environment typically have a useful life of about 10,000 to 15,000 hours. Equipment ID 14304 has exceeded that range and has logged more than 23,600 hours, Riley said, producing higher maintenance costs and raising the risk of operational disruption.

Riley said the division obtained a cooperative purchase quotation through Sourcewell from Quinn Company for a Caterpillar Inc. model 950 configured specifically for solid-waste operations. The machine as quoted includes a high-lift linkage and a waste-handling package intended for high-volume sites such as the Del Norte Regional Recycling and Transfer Station, along with safety and operational features including collision warning, surround-view cameras, rearview monitoring, a reversing fan, a trash air pre-cleaner, a fire suppression system and an industrial lighting package.

Using Sourcewell cooperative contract number 011-723-CAT yields an 18% discount that produces a net purchase price of $525,227.60 (excluding taxes and fees). Including applicable sales tax, tire fees and delivery, Riley said the total equipment cost is $573,818.15. The quoted package includes a 12-month full machine warranty and optional extended coverage of 36 months or 5,000 hours for the powertrain, hydraulics and technology components.

Riley told the committee the purchase will be funded from the Environmental Resources Division's adopted fiscal year 2025–26 budget and the fleet replacement fund 742 (project C1837). She said use of the Sourcewell cooperative contract provides an estimated cost savings of about $114,525 compared with list price.

The presentation concluded with Riley asking that the committee recommend City Council approve and authorize the mayor to execute the purchase order. No committee vote or final action was recorded in the provided transcript; the item was presented for committee recommendation to City Council.