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County weighing purchase vs. lease for excavator; commissioners supportive of road-widener procurement
Summary
Highway staff asked commissioners for guidance on replacing a high-hour rubber‑tired excavator and pursuing a road-widener attachment (estimate ~$70,000); commissioners urged cost-effective purchasing and budget presentation to the council.
Chris told the board the county has three rubber‑tired excavators and that one older machine with about 10,000 hours is losing hydraulic power and will need replacement. He gave a rough price range for a new machine at about $290,000–$310,000 and said leasing would cost roughly $57,000 per year for five years plus a $109,000 buyout.
Separately, Chris requested permission to pursue acquiring a road‑widener attachment for skid steers, saying initial estimates are near $70,000. Commissioners responded that acquiring the attachment could speed work, encouraged Chris to evaluate buy-versus-lease costs, and suggested presenting formal bids or budget reappropriation requests to the council.
Why it matters: equipment replacement and attachments affect county capacity and budgets. Commissioners asked staff to evaluate cost-effectiveness and to bring formal budget requests forward.
