To: Board of Supervisors
From: Aviation
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Purchase of One (1) New Caterpillar Model 259D3 Compact Construction Equipment
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the purchase of one (1) New Caterpillar Model 259D3 Compact Construction Equipment.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Aviation Enterprise Fund (3530381)
DISCUSSION:
The Humboldt County Department of Aviation operates six County-Owned airports with a cumulative total of over 1100 acres. A significant portion of this terrain has brushy or wooded areas which require on-going maintenance. Historically, these county-owned airports have had insufficient maintenance equipment and insufficient staffing levels to adequately maintain airfield vegetation and infrastructure. Previously, the Aviation Department has relied upon Sheriff's Work Alternative Program (SWAP) Crews and CalFire Conservation camps to assist in vegetation abatement. However, these crews have recently had decreases in funding, longer lead-times in scheduling, and have been unable to provide any services at three of the Department's six airports due to the closure of the CalFire High Rock Camp and travel distances involved with respect to the SWAP Program.
In the past year, your Board approved four new full-time Airport Services Worker positions. This expansion of the staffing capacity in airport operations alleviates the need to pay external crews for airfield maintenance activities. The Department of Aviation is now actively working to equip this newly staffed team with the proper equipment capable of adequately maintaining the airfields. This new equipment will drastically improve the efficiency of staff and reduce labor intensive tasks which are currently performed manually or contracted out.
The quoted Caterpillar 259D3 compact construction equipment will come equipped with a mulcher/masticator that will be able to take down small tre...
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