City Council Meeting Date: August 19, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Andrew Tussing, Streets and Parks Manager
Title
Consider Motion to Authorize the Purchase of Caterpillar 938 Front-End Loader.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council authorizes purchasing a Caterpillar 938 front-end loader for $269,472.78 (Attachment 1)
Summary Report:
The Street and Park Division budgeted in the Capital Equipment Plan to replace the 2009 caterpillar 938 front end loader. The front-end loader is used for snowplow operations including salt loading of trucks, plowing of city cul-de-sacs, downtown snow management, compost site material handling, street maintenance, leaf collection in the fall, and storm debris removal.
Recent assessments conducted by the lead mechanic have confirmed that the equipment is starting to show age through corrosion on many different components, creating more equipment repairs in recent years. The current front-end loader is not equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The new equipment will be equipped with a DPF to meet current emission standards and improve air quality. To optimize and recapture value, it is recommended to trade in the equipment while it still has some value. Ziegler Inc has quoted our current machine has a trade in value of $62,000.
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
Purchased through state contract
Expense $269,472.78
Funding Sources
Vehicle Equipment Replacement Fund $180,546.76
Garbage Fund $88,926.02
Tentative Timelines:
City take delivery November 2025