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Eatontown council presses to replace aging tub grinder after repeated breakdowns
Summary
Council members and DPW officials urged a purchase of a new tub grinder — estimated roughly $800,000–$830,000 — after years of repairs, lost shared-service revenue and concern about DEP fines. Staff will provide warranty and revenue detail before a final vote.
Council members said the borough needs a new tub grinder after years of costly repairs, tight storage and lost capacity to provide shared services to neighboring towns.
"The current machine is 20 years old…we're looking at for the past three years, I think we had spent about $150,000 on repairs," Acting DPW Director Kenny Sneads said, describing a recent $25,000 radiator repair and frequent breakdowns. Sneads told the council the unit could take four to six months to replace and that parts for the older machine are harder to find.
Council members and staff described how running an older grinder forces borough crews to haul brush out of town, increasing fuel and labor costs and slowing curbside work. "When you break it down, especially to a mulch consistency, we're usually utilizing all that space in that container," Sneads said, explaining why the tub grinder matters for storage and operational tempo.
Administration said the capital cost for a new tub grinder is in the range of about $800,000 to $830,000. Council asked staff to return with exact revenue figures from shared-service agreements, warranty details (industry standard referenced as "1 year/1,000 hours" during the discussion) and cost comparisons for storage solutions, trade-in or auction options for the old machine.
The council left the item on the agenda for formal action but asked DPW and finance to provide a memo with warranty language, the shared-service revenue composition and financing options before voting.
