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Parks & Recreation seeks two John Deere mowers and a Ford Explorer; committee discusses staggered replacement and cost sharing
Summary
Parks & Recreation Director Amy Brosnan asked the Capital Expenditure Committee for $58,929.18 to buy two John Deere Z997R mowers and $41,845.25 for a 2026 Ford Explorer. The application cites very high hours on existing equipment and recommends a 60-inch deck; a public commenter suggested Board of Education cost-sharing for mowers.
At the March 19 Capital Expenditure Committee meeting, Brooklyn Parks & Recreation Director Amy L. Brosnan presented two capital funding applications: $58,929.18 to replace two zero-turn mowers (John Deere Z997R with 60-inch deck, $29,464.59 each) and $41,845.25 for a 2026 Ford Explorer for departmental use (includes $1,000 for department decals).
The Parks & Recreation application states the department’s current Z997 has 3,543.4 hours and the Z960 has 1,804.3 hours, figures the application uses to justify replacement because of frequent repairs, downtime, and increasing maintenance costs. The mower request includes a United Ag & Turf quote (Quote Id 1591727) reflecting Sourcewell discounted pricing. The application explains a 60-inch deck was chosen over 72 inches for maneuverability and to avoid turf damage on cemetery and school properties.
Brosnan told the committee the new mowers would improve efficiency and reduce downtime across parks, municipal facilities and school properties. Committee members asked several questions about timing and staging of purchases. During public comment, Sandy Brodeur suggested exploring outside file storage for scanned documents and asked whether the Board of Education might share in the cost of the mowers because Parks & Recreation staff maintain school grounds; the minutes record that members discussed staggering mower purchases and tracking average use hours.
The Parks & Recreation vehicle application argues a dedicated, clearly marked vehicle will improve operational logistics and safety on school grounds and reduce reliance on personal vehicles. The application cites a Columbia Ford quote for the Explorer with pricing and savings details.
Neither mower nor vehicle purchases were approved at the March 19 meeting; the materials and quotes are in the capital request packet for further consideration. The committee scheduled follow-up reviews at future meetings, including March 23, 2026 presentations from other departments.
