Park and rec to replace inoperable vehicles

At the most recent Kimball Park and Recreation Board meeting, Nov. 17, the Park and Recreation Superintendent, Jeremy Williams addressed both the County Commissioners and the City Council for money to purchase several pieces of equipment to replace older units.

The conversation began at the August board meeting. City Administrator Daniel Ortiz stated that much of the equipment used at Kimball’s golf course is aging and the equipment Williams has to work with has begun to negatively impact the maintenance of the golf course. At that time Williams requested of the funding to replace two-thirds of the equipment now available to him.

During that meeting Mayor Keith Prunty requested a funding increase to the Park and Recreation Board in the amount of $5,000 from the County Commissioners with the caveat that the money be used to replace faulty equipment. Commissioner Tim Nolting agreed to commit the extra $5,000 request.

Priorities, according to Williams, include a fairway mower, rough mower and a utility vehicle cutter.

“I am hoping to roll the costs into a three to five year loan to get a few pieces of equipment,” he stated to the boards. “I purchased a new greens mower last year, and the annual payment is $8,488.40, with one more payment due in 2016. After 2016, we could probably get more equipment with that money.”

Among the equipment to be replaced, the newest ones were purchased in 2007 and the current utility vehicle, a 1997 model, is not operational, according to Ortiz.

“The Park and Rec Superintendent, Jeremy Williams, spent a considerable amount of time these past two seasons maintaining and repairing equipment and even calling on other golf courses in the Panhandle to borrow equipment when he was up against a time table for an event such as a tournament and simply couldn’t repair a piece of equipment in time,” explained Ortiz, “If the equipment is not replaced, considerable resources would have to be spent next year in maintaining, repairing, and replacing components on the mowers. We’ve reached the point where duct tape and bandaging equipment together no longer makes financial sense and ultimately would need to look at purchasing newer equipment in the very near future.”

The combined board approved purchasing the new equipment and seeking financing to pay for them. According to Ortiz, the total approximate cost of the new equipment will total $167,000, and is expected to be financed. Currently, the Park and Recreation Operating board and the executive boards are seeking to acquire all the pieces of requested equipment but they will not all be acquired from a single vendor.