Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crow Wing County highway worker's adapter plate wins OPERA funding; vendor price about $5,700 each
Summary
Austin Kubish presented a prototype adapter that lets the county move a front-mounted plow between trucks and loaders; the county received OPERA funding to procure units and the Falls vendor invoice showed a per-unit cost of $5,700.
Joel Lucksick, lead manager for Crow Wing County, introduced Austin Kubish from the highway shop, who outlined an adapter-plate prototype that would allow front-mounted truck plows to attach to wheel loaders, improving versatility and saving crew time during snow events. "I want to be able to just act like I'm unhooking it from a truck and hook it back up to another truck," Kubish said, describing an intermediate adapter that would remain mounted to the plow and allow quick transfer between vehicles.
Kubish said the county applied for and received OPERA (Operational Research for Local Transportation Groups) funding to purchase prototypes and that Falls quoted approximately $5,700 per adapter. Commissioners praised the innovation and asked operational questions about weight, stability when the adapter is detached, compatibility with Falls-brand plows and the county's transition to two-way plows. Staff said the adapter is currently designed for Falls plows and the county will store the adapter attached to a spare plow during idle seasons.
The board did not take formal procurement action during the meeting; the presentation was informational and commissioners expressed support for the project.
