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Woodbury County board directs staff to seek bids for six tandem trucks, removes L‑27 resurfacing from FY2027 plan
Summary
After a lengthy presentation by Secondary Roads Director Laura Sievers about an aging fleet and looming 2027 emissions rules, the board voted unanimously to receive the FY2026–27 equipment budget packet, remove the L‑27 resurfacing from immediate funding, and authorize staff to solicit bids for six tandem trucks and other equipment.
The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors instructed staff to go out for bids on six tandem trucks and related equipment and to remove the L‑27 road resurfacing project from the proposed FY2027 work plan.
Secondary Roads presenter Laura Sievers told the board the county operates roughly 130 pieces of equipment and that many units are overdue for replacement. "It is a $3,000,000 equipment budget and, I'd be asking for a motor grader, a mechanic's truck, a pickup for the engineer group, skid loader and trailer, a tool truck, 6 tandems," she said. She emphasized a looming 2027 emissions standard and argued ordering pre‑2027 models would avoid early teething problems with new emission systems that could cause downtime and parts backlogs.
Supervisors pressed Sievers on maintenance savings and budget offsets; staff reported new equipment line items would rise to about $3,115,000 while other line items were reduced so the department's overall draft budget was roughly net‑neutral before payroll figures. The board's direction — to remove the L‑27 resurfacing from the immediate budget and seek competitive bids for the six tandem trucks and related equipment — passed when the board "received" the FY2026–27 secondary roads equipment budget packet; the recorded vote was 5–0.
The board emphasized adherence to procurement policy. Chair (board) said the county "needs to follow our policies" and multiple supervisors recommended a standard competitive bid process rather than single‑source purchases. Sievers said vendors and local contractors will be engaged to seek the best pricing and that, if vendors lack 2026 models, the county could adjust the purchase plan. The board asked staff to return final bid results and a revised budget projection before committing capital funds.
The decision sets in motion the procurement process; the county will revise the secondary roads budget draft to show the L‑27 project deferred and circulate bid documents for the equipment the board authorized to price out.
