City Approves Nearly $70k for New Street Dept. Equipment

During the Española City Council’s Oct. 12 meeting, Streets Supervisor Elijah Mares discussed the Department’s two purchase proposals for machinery. 

One proposal was for the approval of the purchase of a Doosan Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader, which cost $44,097.12. 

The other was a proposal for the approval of the purchase of a John Deere wood chipper, which cost $24,850.

Mares said it was time to replace the old Bobcat. 

“One of our Bobcats is requiring a lot of work,” Mares said. “And it’s repeat work. So the machine has aged out.” 

He said that he chose to go through the Albuquerque Bobcat dealership because the city would receive a discount of up to $8,000.

“The Bobcat will serve all of our needs, including helping with some of the mowing of the smaller roads and for emergency-type situations,” he said. “There is a lot of purposes for this.” 

Another reason why he chose the Bobcat Skid-Steer was because it would be compatible with the parts that the Department already has, making it more cost-efficient for the city. The Skid-Steer Loader would come with a 2-year warranty or a warranty for up to 2,000 hours of use, whichever comes first. 

When discussing the purchase of the wood chipper, he said the cost for such machinery has risen significantly over the last couple years, since they last purchased a chipper. He chose one of the most affordable John Deere wood chippers he could find.

“It (the wood chipper) is $3,000 to $5,000 less than the other two that we did look at,” he said. 

Mares said the wood chipper he chose is diesel-fueled, which makes it easier to store for long periods of time, without problems.  

After his presentation, council members unanimously approved both purchases.