County highway retooling with several large equipment purchases

Friday, March 3, 2017

With $200,000 recently allocated to purchase a new piece of heavy equipment, the Putnam County Highway will make the first of several large equipment purchases over the course of 2017.

County Highway Supervisor Mike Ricketts went before the Putnam County Commissioners and Putnam County Council last week to request the money be moved from the Cumulative Bridge Fund to equipment replacement in order to purchase a dirt loader.

The department has more than made the old loader last, as it is a 1994 model. Ricketts said the old model will be kept as a backup.

Approved by both bodies, the money allows the county to purchase the implement outright.

Six other pieces of equipment are also on the docket for purchase this year, although Rickets said they will be leased for purchase over a five-year period. Over that time, the money will be drawn from the equipment replacement budget.

The other planned purchases include a chip spreader for $230,000, a distributor truck for $190,000 and four dump trucks with plows for $170,000 each.

All prices are estimates.

Ricketts said he prefers the model used in purchasing the dirt loader — all money up front — but said equipment needs make that unachievable at this time.

“I try to pay cash with the county’s money but I don’t think that’s feasible right now,” Ricketts said.

He has contacted local banks, including First National Bank, North Salem State Bank and Tri-County Bank, about financing the leased items.

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  • Indiana Code 8-16-3-1.5. Allowed uses of this taxpayer money is defined in this Code.

    -- Posted by kubotafan on Sat, Mar 4, 2017, at 3:31 PM
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