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Committee approves trailer and roller purchases, authorizes carbide plow-blade buys after major price spikes
Summary
The Highway Committee approved buying a 10-foot tri-axle tilt trailer for $46,699 and a Sakai asphalt roller via a cooperative Sourcewell contract (about $189,659 plus $7,000 setup). Members authorized the highway commissioner to purchase carbide plow blades as needed after rubber-blade prices jumped from about $436 to $3,200 per unit.
The Dunn County Highway Committee approved several capital purchases and gave staff latitude to procure high-cost winter blades amid sharply rising prices.
Committee members accepted staff’s recommendation to buy a 10‑foot tri-axle tilt trailer from Arya CSS (Sarasota, Florida) for $46,699 to haul paving equipment; the item was budgeted in the capital request at $60,000. The motion passed without recorded roll-call tallies.
Separately, staff recommended purchasing a larger Sakai asphalt roller through Sourcewell, a cooperative contract, after demonstrations and mechanic input showed the heavier 79‑inch drum machine provides improved compaction and longer pavement life. The Sourcewell price presented to the committee was $189,659 plus a $7,000 setup/delivery and training fee; staff said the Sourcewell discount and vendor-provided training supported the procurement approach.
The committee also addressed a severe vendor-price shock for plow blades: staff said the 4‑foot JMA rubber blade that cost about $436 last year is now listed at roughly $3,200. Vendors and staff attributed the jump to global material and supply constraints, including carbide (tungsten) availability. Committee members authorized the highway commissioner to purchase carbide (hardened) blades from the low bidder as needed to maintain an appropriate on‑hand inventory and to revisit ordering if market conditions change.
Why it matters: equipment choices and unexpected material-price inflation affect winter readiness, pavement longevity and capital budgets. The committee signaled a preference for reliability and maintenance savings that could reduce long-term lifecycle costs.
Approvals were recorded as committee actions at the meeting; staff will manage delivery timelines and report back on final costs and inventory levels.
