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Jackson County reviews road equipment and debates Samsara tracking system
Summary
Public Works leaders told commissioners the county’s road groomer has reduced potholes and saved grader hours and raised concerns about the Samsara fleet-tracking service; staff said the GPS module would cost about $10,000 with form services about $6,000 and recommended further vendor follow-up.
Public Works Director Scott Kieffaber and Road and Bridge Superintendent Joe Gardner updated the Board of County Commissioners on weekly operations and a vendor review for fleet tracking on Jan. 5.
Kieffaber reported the new road groomer had been used on several county roads and, in his view, was removing potholes and saving grader hours. He told commissioners the groomer ‘‘is pulling up the gravel as it should’’ and said results depend on operator technique. Joe Gardner said crews will run the groomer for several more weeks to evaluate progress.
The discussion then turned to the county’s Samsara fleet/tracking system. Kieffaber said the GPS portion of the system would cost about $10,000 and that the forms component would add roughly $6,000. Commissioners asked whether the county should keep all of Samsara, retain GPS only, or seek alternatives; Kieffaber proposed consulting Samsara engineers and OEMs (Caterpillar and John Deere) about access and functionality. Commissioner Keith Kelly said the original purchase was intended as a management tool to verify work completion.
The board did not take immediate action but asked staff to explore vendor fixes, get demonstrations from OEMs and return with recommendations for how the system would be used as a management tool.
