CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Casper City Council authorized some equipment and vehicle purchases to help City of Casper staff clear snow in the winter and maintain golf courses in the summer. The purchases are all to replace aging equipment.
One purchase authorized Tuesday is for a new 3,000-ton-per-hour LaRue loader–mounted snowblower from Colorado-based Kois Brothers Equipment Co. The cost of the new blower is $239,850 but the city will trade in a 14-year-old snowblower which will bring down the cost for the new blower by $10,000, a staff memo explains.
The new snowblower will be used in the Casper Streets and Traffic Division.
“The loader-mounted snowblower is used heavily in winter months for removing windrows made from plowing snow to the middle of the street,” the staff memo said. “Plowing to the middle is generally done to clear a pathway throughout the city to accommodate emergency vehicles and the motoring public during snowstorms as well as minimizing the impact to residential driveways, commercial driveways and storm drains.”
While the city received a lower bid of $182,631.57 for a Kodiak snowblower, staff recommended the purchase of the LaRue snowblower because the “Kodiak snowblower had many exceptions in their formal bid and could not build a product that City of Casper specifications required.”
“One major exception by the Kodiak snowblower was the front ribbon or auger,” the memo said. “City of Casper specifications called for a ‘Heavy-duty serrated single-ribbon, one-piece type, at 42” maximum diameter designed to force snow into impeller fan.’ The Kodiak snowblower is manufactured with a two-piece ribbon, one left side and one right side. Staff had the opportunity to test and operate snowblowers with both styles of ribbons and feel the single one-piece ribbon is far less maintenance and handles the windrows much better than the two-piece ribbon.
“Other examples include delivery time, operator familiarity, and part accessibility. Delivery for the Kodiak snowblower is expected to be 180 days while the LaRue snowblower is expected in 40 days.”
The LaRue snowblower will allow the Streets and Traffic Division to continue having two loader-mounted snowblowers in its fleet.
“Having two blowers allows the continuance of operations during snow events should there be a breakdown or if one unit needs serviced,” the memo said. “Also, having two blowers operating simultaneously during very large snow events helps keep city businesses open and traffic flowing.”
Further details regarding the snowblower purchase are available in the full staff memo:
The City Council also authorized the purchase of a new 2023 Ford F350 pickup with snowplow, dump bed and accessories from Casper-based Greiner Ford for $88,189 before trade-in. The truck will be used in the Casper Weed and Pest Division
“This pickup truck will be used for all snow events and is the main salt truck for all public facilities maintained by the City of Casper,” a staff memo explains. “In addition, this truck will be used to pull mowers for rough-area mowing. It is a common practice for the truck and trailer to be driven into the rough areas off pathways, the interstate ramps, and other city-owned and maintained lots.”
The full staff memo is available below:
The City Council also authorized the purchase of three new golf course greens mowers for a total cost of $167,982 before trade-in. The mowers will be used for maintenance at the Casper Municipal Golf Course.
“The new greens mowers are needed to maintain the quality of the greens putting surface, customer playability, and overall satisfaction of customers,” a staff memo explained. “This purchase will replace three (3) older golf course greens mowers that have all met the criteria needed for replacement.”
Further details are available in the full memo:
