Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Heavy Equipment Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Division proposes regional heavy‑equipment trail crews to expand statewide maintenance
Summary
Division staff proposed converting seasonal crew leads into year‑round operator roles and staging machines across four regions instead of a single traveling crew, arguing the change will reduce travel costs, improve retention and double the number of projects statewide.
Division staff presented a proposal to expand heavy‑equipment capacity for trail maintenance by training existing regional crew supervisors to operate machines and by staging equipment across the state rather than relying on a single centralized crew.
"Just this past year, we completed 156 projects around the state, with over 1500 hours of crew time," said a division presenter, noting demand for heavy‑equipment work has grown. Jason Green, the division director, described the funding as a legislative appropriation and said the division plans to elevate four seasonal supervisor positions (effectively adding two full‑time equivalents) so supervisors can both operate equipment and oversee hand crews in their regions.
Proponents told the council the regional model reduces travel time and per‑diem costs and should improve retention: a single traveling crew would spend multiple hours commuting to many projects, whereas supervisors working in their home regions typically travel an hour or less to project sites. "I absolutely believe that the regional approach would be the best use of taxpayer dollars here," a presenter said.
Council members said they supported piloting the regional approach but asked the division to return with more detail on equipment allocation, costs and accountability metrics. The proposal did not result in a formal vote; staff said they would proceed with the previously proposed plan A unless the council recommended otherwise.
