The Town Council has approved the purchase of new parks maintenance equipment including a mower damaged by floodwater in 2018.

Staff is requesting that the turf mower used at Golden Eagle Park be replaced one year ahead of schedule because the equipment has reached its lifespan due to the flood damage.

The mower is scheduled for replacement as of July 1, 2021, but following the flood, the equipment required extensive repairs to keep it running as long as possible. The mower is now in need of additional repair, according to staff, and those costs exceed the adopted vehicle replacement policy of 40 percent of vehicle value within a 12-month period.

Staff does the mowing at Golden Eagle Park to maintain greater control of how and when the turf on the ball fields gets mowed. This can require multiple mowings per week using a well-maintained mower.

The cost of the new mower is $23,696 and has a greater capacity than the current mower to improve staff productivity.

Staff also requested funding from the Vehicle Replacement Fund be used to purchase a 200-gallon sprayer in lieu of replacing a sweeper that is no longer efficient for park use.

The sprayer would be used for applications to enhance turf growth and minimize weed activity in the parks. The cost of the equipment is $29,858.

According to staff, the cost of contracting this work is becoming cost prohibitive and difficult to schedule. It has been a goal of staff to perform this work in-house.

The council vote to approve these purchases from the Vehicle Replacement Fund was 7-0.