Guelph/Eramosa planning to buy its own tractor

BRUCEDALE – Guelph/Eramosa Township will soon have its own tractor.

Township public works director Harry Niemi appeared at the Aug. 12 council meeting to ask for approval to purchase a tractor in order to do more roadside mowing.

“I’d like to purchase a tractor along with a mower deck and also ... a tow-behind grader,” Niemi told council.

He said the township currently rents the equipment needed, and does two cuts per year, but the level of service appears to be insufficient.

“Last year there were a few calls from some intersections and driveway entrances where just the roadside grass was too long,” Niemi said. “I’m looking at increasing our number of cuts to three and/or lengthening those cuts to allow some cleanup.”

In a report to council Niemi explained equipment rental is booked in advance in two-week durations, with roadside mowing happening in late spring and in fall.

If the rental period is not timed right, it can be a problem.

“Substantial growth occurred three weeks prior to our rental period, resulting in safety concerns in the way of sight-line reductions at driveways and intersections,” the report stated.

Increasing the rental duration to three weeks is also being considered in order to do the work more carefully, the report stated.

It added, “Assuming a rental combination was even available, the annual rental cost alone would exceed $20,000 in 2025.”

Instead the report proposed transferring money from the operating budget, currently being used for equipment rental, to the equipment reserve fund to buy a tractor and attachments.

The report did not specify how much a tractor would cost, but stated “the anticipated 2025 equipment reserve is sufficient to fund the purchase of the tractor and associated attachments along with other scheduled replacements.”

Council agreed purchasing is the right way to go.

“I was actually quite shocked that we didn’t own a tractor,” councillor Mark Bouwmeester  said. “This is a great investment.”

Councillor Corey Woods noted he has in the past received residents’ complaints about the length of roadside grass.

“The right level of service is three times per year,” Woods said. “Two just wasn’t enough.”

Mayor Chris White agreed a tractor purchase and more cuts were the right way to go.

“This, to me, is a bit of a no-brainer,” he said.

Asked what the tractor might cost, Niemi estimated the vehicle could cost between $170,000 and $190,000, and around $260,000 total with the desired attachments.

The motion to increase the level of service from two cuts to three was carried unanimously.

Council also approved a motion that a report on the purchase of a tractor – along with roadside mower, tow-behind shoulder grader and snow-blower attachments – be brought to council for pre-budget approval.