Ashland Township Supervisor John Hannold this month continued his mission to update the township’s equipment and implement long-range road and equipment maintenance goals.
Hannold and fellow supervisors David Weaver and Tim Chapman agreed to purchase a new 2023 Ford F-600 general purpose truck, outfitted with a dump bed and snowplow through the state COSTARS program at a total cost of $118,862. That price might be lower as the board agreed to outfit the truck with a 9-feet wide snowplow rather than a 10-feet wide plow.
Hannold proposed the purchase of the truck last month in combination with the sale of the township’s larger Mack general purpose truck. At the February meeting, Hannold reported the Mack truck had several problems that kept it from being of much use. Chapman said he wanted to determine what was wrong with the Mack before selling it. Weaver was absent from last month’s meeting.
Chapman and Weaver agreed with the idea of selling the truck, but the question arose of a selling price or minimum bid.
“Before we can sell it, we have to finish paying for it,” said Chapman. “We don’t hold the title to it.”
Ashland Township owes about $11,000 on the Mack truck.
“We have the funds,” said Weaver. “Let’s pay it off.”
The board agreed unanimously to pay off the remaining balance of the truck loan.
The supervisors also agreed to ask several truck dealerships for an estimated value on the Mack truck so they can determine a selling price or a minimum acceptable bid. If the Ashland Township sells the truck to another municipality, there is no bidding process required. If the truck is sold to a non-government entity, the bid process is required.
“We need to see what it’s worth before we do anything,” said Weaver. “That should be our first step.”
A decision on the future of the Mack truck is expected at the April meeting.
Hannold, in his first two months as a supervisor, has been developing a list of goals for township projects and equipment.
Hannold said he would like to purchase a “hydradigger.” The multi-use machine can be used as an excavator, a ditching machine, a mower or with a push blade and other implements. Beaver, Elk and Salem townships have the machines and have reported good results.
The cost of a hydradigger, though, is about $270,000.
Hannold said he would also like to get a “tar buggy” that with the hydradigger would allow the township to do its own tar and chipping projects. The estimated cost of the tar buggy is $33,000.
“Maybe we can find a grant for that, too,” said Hannold. “it will save us a lot of money if we can do that (tar and chipping) ourselves.”
Looking forward to the summer road maintenance season, Hannold suggested hiring a part-time laborer to assist the road crew. The board agreed to hire the lone candidate for the job, but a debate over the hourly wage could affect the hiring. Hannold said he was suggesting an hourly wage of $17. Chapman and Weaver said they thought that wage for a part-time laborer was too high and suggested $15 per hour.
It was determined the wage for part-time laborers had already been set at $15 at the township’s re-organizational meeting in January. The candidate was hired at that wage, but Hannold said he wasn’t sure the candidate will accept that wage.
The discussion then turned to the township’s various items of road equipment.
Last month, former supervisor Adam Courson offered to look over the equipment and suggest what needed to be done.
Courson reported much of the equipment was in poor condition and none of the equipment had recently updated service records. Courson said the boom mower and road broom were “junk” and the ditch mower is worn out. The road grader needs new tires and leaks hydraulic fluid in numerous places. The John Deere tractor needs tires and also has hydraulic fluid leaks that could cost $8,000 to repair because the cab must come off the tractor for the work.
“And your trailer is out of inspection and the deck needs work,” said Courson.
“There is a lot that needs to be done,” acknowledged Hannold. “But we’re going to get it done.”
In other business, the board of supervisors:
– Approved moving several accounts from Farmers National bank to PLIGIT. Township secretary Wendy Simpson reported some of the bank fees were higher than the interest revenue the accounts were generating.
– Approved a $250 donation to the Knox Public Library.
– Acknowledged the township will receive $88,773 in liquid fuels tax revenue for road projects and another $76,760 in “turn back” funding which is used for the maintenance of former state roads.