Public Works & Utility Committee Agenda/ Packet

VILLAGE OF LISBON W234 N8676 Woodside Rd Lisbon, WI 53089-1545 Office: (262) 246-6100 | Email: villagehall@lisbonwi.gov | Website: www.lisbonwi.gov Join Zoom Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88319721129?pwd=Rm1tdkgzcW9PMG5HY051MlBpbzR4UT09 Zoom by Phone: Dial 1-312-626-6799 Meeting ID: 883 1972 1129 Passcode: 027704 MEETING AGENDA PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITY COMMITTEE – LISBON VILLAGE HALL Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 5:00P.M. 1. Call to Order & Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Citizen Comments – Please limit comments to three minutes 4. Approval of Meeting Minutes • 6/17/2026 Public Works & Utility Committee 5. Department Reports A. Dept. of Public Works – DPW Director B. Utility District – Engineer C. Special Projects - Administrator 6. Unfinished Business A. Discussion only re: Stormwater Fund status. B. Discussion only re: Compost Fund and annual Brush Pickup. 7. New Business A. Discussion and necessary action re: potential replacement of WAM mowers with zero-turn mowers. B. Discussion and necessary action re: mowing of retention ponds. C. Discussion only re: sewer utility costs for facility upgrades. 8. Items to be Placed on a Future Agenda 9. Adjournment NOTE: It is possible that members and/or a quorum of other governmental bodies may attend the above meeting to gather information. No action will be taken by any governmental body other than specifically noticed above. Citizens with disabilities who require assistance to participate in this meeting should contact Village Hall at least 72 hours in advance. VILLAGE OF LISBON W234N8676 Woodside Road Lisbon, WI 53089-1545 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITY COMMITTEE LISBON VILLAGE HALL – June 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM Office: (262) 246-6100 | Email: VillageHall@LisbonWI.gov | Website: www.LisbonWI.gov Call to Order Committee Chair Marc Moonen called the meeting to order at 5:09 p.m. Roll Call Present: Trustees Marc Moonen and Linda Beal; Members Jane Mueller, Joe Eberle, and Randy Chmiel; Engineer Don Neitzel; Administrator Dan Green; DPW Director Nick Wilichowski; and Deputy Clerk- Finance Lisa Tremper. Approval of Meeting Minutes 05/27/2026 Public Works & Utility Committee Motion by Eberle, second by Chmiel, to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Department Reports Public Works Director Wilichowski reported on several recent departmental activities from the last month (see attached report). Discussion arose with the mowing of retention ponds. Committee Chair Moonen recommended that this topic be added to next month’s agenda for further discussion. The committee briefly discussed the recently adopted ATV/UTV ordinance, noting that signage is posted village wide. Utility District Engineer Neitzel gave an overview of monthly flows and run time for the Jeanine, Plainview, Willow Springs, and Richmond lift stations, as well as the various well readings. It was noted that Next Electric is working on the application with WE Energies to relocate electrical service to the road at Willow Springs. It was also noted that the scheduled sewer televising at the Richmond School Lift Station was delayed due to a scheduling miscommunication. Engineer Neitzel will follow up regarding the updated scheduled date. One final note that Engineer Neitzel mentioned is that the backup pump is being repaired and will be stored at the DPW shop. Public Works & Utility Committee Meeting Minutes June 17, 2026 Page 2 of 3 Office: (262) 246-6100 | Email: VillageHall@LisbonWI.gov | Website: www.LisbonWI.gov Special Projects Administrator Green reported that the joint meeting regarding the final areas for sewer service amendments went well, with the service area on HWY 164 expanding beyond what was initially proposed. The next step is to have Plan Commission go through the comprehensive plan review and update, anticipated to begin at the July meeting. Administrator Green also proposed implementing a $10 administrative fee for incomplete checks for sewer utility payments. The next step would be to bring this proposal to village board for approval. The committee recognized outgoing committee member Dan Plese for his many years of service, and welcomed new committee member Randy Chmiel, who brings experience from Lisbon’s DPW and the City of Pewaukee. New Business Discussion only re: Stormwater Fund Status. Administrator Green provided a historical overview of the stormwater utility fee, noting it was established in 2006 at $40 per household and last increased in 2013 to $48. The current fund balance is approximately $650,000, though anticipated expenditures could reduce that balance substantially. The committee discussed broadening the authorized uses of the stormwater fund to include a proportional share of road project costs attributable to stormwater facilities, as well as a transfer toward capital equipment used in ditching and culvert work. A preliminary budget model suggested a 50% fee increase to approximately $72 a household, which would increase annual revenue from approximately $253,000 to $380,000. The committee directed staff to track labor and equipment time attributable to stormwater activities beginning this year, and to report on stormwater fund status on a quarterly basis. No action taken. Discussion only re: Compost Fund & Brush Pickup. Administrator Green reported that the compost fund currently carries approximately $35,000 in revenue against $21,000 in expenditures year-to-date but is projected to end the year in a deficit largely due to the cost of a second grinding cycle from tornado debris cleanup and record compost site use. The committee discussed the structural challenge of funding the compost operation solely through past revenue, noting equipment depreciation, wear and tear, and the costs of roadside brush pickup are not fully reflected in the current budget. The committee also discussed the option of eliminating roadside brush pickup entirely and instead opening the compost site to all village residents at no charge, redirecting labor and equipment resources to higher-priority infrastructure tasks. The committee agreed to continue the discussion at the July meeting. No action taken. Discussion & necessary action re: Replace Box Culvert at Richmond Road. Administrator Green presented the condition and proposed replacement of a culvert on Richmond Road, which was washed out during the heavy rain event in April. The proposed replacement involves Public Works & Utility Committee Meeting Minutes June 17, 2026 Page 3 of 3 Office: (262) 246-6100 | Email: VillageHall@LisbonWI.gov | Website: www.LisbonWI.gov a repositioned box culvert designed to improve hydraulic efficiency by eliminating the current inefficient flow angle, along with a guardrail for safety and an additional smaller culvert to manage overflow. Engineer Neitzel added the project will require a DNR general permit with a 30-day review period, and that environmental classification of the stream could extend the timeline. The committee concurred that design, permitting, and bid document preparation should proceed immediately so the project can be awarded as soon as permits allow. Motion by Mueller, second by Eberle, to recommend that Village Board proceed with design and planning, and to prepare contract documents for bidding the Richmond Road culvert replacement project. Motion carried unanimously. Unfinished Business Discussion and necessary action re: quotes for valve replacement at lift stations, and recommendation to Village Board Engineer Neitzel presented updated quotes for valve replacement at the three lift stations. Committee member Eberle advocated for completing all replacements at once, noting that deferral risks valve failure, labor efficiencies favor consolidating the work, and the cost of an emergency repair would likely exceed the cost of proactive replacement. Motion by Eberle, second by Chmiel, to recommend that Village Board proceed with replacement of all six check valves and six plug valves at the three lift stations based on quotes dated June 17, 2026. Motion carried unanimously. Adjournment There being no further business, motion by Moonen, second by Beal, to adjourn the meeting at 6:50 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Lisa Tremper Lisa Tremper Deputy Clerk-Treasurer DPW Monthly Report June 2026 Highway: • Roadside Mowing • Weed Spraying • Replace Driveway Culverts • Tree Removal on Tamarack Road • Grading and ditch reshaping on Fox Hollow Dr. • Grade and remove stumps on Tamarack Road • Replace knuckle on Boom mower • Strip truck 16 box and clean and prep frame • Spot Shouldering Parks: • Prep for Community Fest • Mowing • Cedar split fence install • Weed spraying • Maintenance on baseball and soccer fields DPW Director: • Help with driveway culvert replacements • Help with Fox Hollow ditching • Check October fields base patch work • Topcoat/surface laid in October fields • Work on getting the annual Recycling event set up • Pre con meeting for Tamarack Road • Grade out the S curve on Tamarack Road • Road meeting with Dan & Mitch • Work on Parks mowing operations and possible upgrade in equipment • Order equipment approve from the borrowing 107 Parallel Street Beaver Dam, WI 53916 • 1115 S Main Street West Bend, WI 53095 • T 920-356-9447 www.kunkelengineering.com July 9, 2026 To: Village of Lisbon Utility Committee From: Don Neitzel Re: Monthly Report (June) __________________ The monthly engineer’s report for the Village of Lisbon Public Works & Utility Committee is as follows: • June 2026 Flows – Flows for the month of June were continuing to trend downward from the prior month of May. o The Jeanine Lift Station had an average flow of 19 GPM (average 24,000 GPD) for the month of June, while the month of May was 22 GPM (average 29,000 GPD). o The Plainview Lift Station for the month of June had an average flow of 20 GPM (average 28,000 GPD), while the month of May was 31 GPM (42,000 GPD). o Willow Springs flows for the month of June were once again averaged due to an electric service issue with the flow meter. An average flow of 26.5 GPM was used for the month based on historical data for this same time period. WE Energies service application was completed and submitted by Next Electric, so the electric service and panel will be at the flow meter location. I also spoke to the property manager for Willow Springs and explained to him that the electric service and panel will now be out at the flow meter. As you will note on the historical monthly flow charts, the flows for all three lift station sites for the month of June fell below the recorded flows of 2024 and 2025 for the same month. • Richmond School Lift Station – o June 2026 - The lift station had a total run time of approximately 97.6 hours for the month of June, with about 47.7 hours on Pump #1 (average of 1.6 hrs run time/day) and 49.9 hours on Pump #2 (1.7 hrs run time/day). o A portion of the school’s internal sewer was televised by the Sewer Ninjas on July 1st. I spoke with Erik Ulvog with Sewer Ninjas and he said that they were able to televise the main run of sewer in the building which consists of both pvc and cast-iron pipe. They were also able to televise several branch lines as well, but could not get into all of them due to the older portions of the building not having any cleanouts. He said they would need to start pulling toilets to get these other areas done. They did find one section of cast iron sewer that is showing signs of 107 Parallel Street Beaver Dam, WI 53916 • 1115 S Main Street West Bend, WI 53095 • T 920-356-9447 www.kunkelengineering.com failure and they are going to get a quote put together for the school for repairing this section, but based on everything they witnessed and televised, they really didn’t see much sign of inflow or infiltration. That said, things have dried up a fair amount from where they were a couple of months ago which shows with the current lift station flows and run times. I explained to him the sewer flow information we have from the temporary flow meter and that we compared that to the water usage at the well, which shows sewer flows well in excess of the water being used. I will be sharing this information with him, so that we can discuss this further. He is also sending me the televised data that they have from their July 1 st work. o Dorner will be completing the lift station draw down and inspection at Richmond School during the week of July 20th. I will touch base with them next week to confirm the day and time for this work to be done. I will have the results of that inspection on the August agenda. o The well reading for the month of June was 26,700 gallons and for the prior month of May it was 40,400 gallons. (see attached water usage chart and sewer flow information). As you will note on the flow chart, the water usage for the month of June 2026 does fall well below what was recorded for the same month during the previous two years. • Fire station Well – o June 2026 - The water usage for the month of June was 6,800 gallons, while the water usage in the prior month of May was 5,800 gallons. (see attached water usage chart). This remains in-line with the monthly flows for both 2025 and 2026 thru the month of June. • Casey’s Well – o June 2026 -The water usage at Casey’s for the month of June was up again from the previous month, with 65,812 gallons of water being used in June while the well reading for the month of May was 40,945 gallons. The monthly water usage is up from their overall historical average throughout the year and over the course of the last two years during the same month. (see attached water usage chart). I will try contacting Casey’s to check on this. 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 1st* 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th* 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th* 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd* 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th* 30th Rainfall (in) Flow Totals (Kgals) * = Monday Jeanine Daily Flow Totals with Rainfall Data - June 2026 Flow Total Rainfall 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Flows (Kgals) Jeanine LS Total Monthly Flows with Monthly Average Rainfall Data Flow 24 Flow 25 Flow 26 Rainfall 24 Rainfall 25 Rainfall 26 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 1st* 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th* 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th* 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd* 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th* 30th Rainfall (in) Flow Totals (Kgals) * = Monday Plainview Flow Totals with Rainfall Data - June 2026 Flow Total Rainfall 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Rainfall (in) Total Flows (Kgals) Plainview LS Total Monthly Flows and Monthly Average Rainfall Data Flow 24 Flow 25 Flow 26 Rain 24 Rain 25 Rain 26 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 1st* 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th* 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th* 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd* 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th* 30th Rainfall (in) Flow Totals (Kgals) * = Monday Willow Springs Flow Totals with Rainfall Data - June 2026 Flow Total Rainfall 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800 3,000 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,800 4,000 4,200 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Rainfall (in) Total Flows (Kgals) Willow Springs LS Total Monthly Flows with Monthly Average Rainfall Data Flow 24 Flow 25 Flow 26 Rain 24 Rain 25 Rain 26 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 55000 60000 65000 70000 75000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Gallons Richmond Monthly Well Totals 2024 Monthly Gallons 2025 Monthly Gallons 2026 Monthly Gallons 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 14000 15000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Gallons Firehouse Monthly Well Totals 2024 Monthly Gallons 2025 Monthly Gallons 2026 Monthly Gallons 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000 110000 120000 130000 140000 150000 160000 170000 180000 190000 200000 210000 220000 230000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Gallons Casey's Monthly Well Totals 2024 Monthly Gallons 2025 Monthly Gallons 2026 Monthly Gallons Bittersweet Drive – Driveway Culvert Installation Scope: Install one 15" x 24' CMPA driveway culvert with repaving and restoration. Description Cost Labor – 6 workers × 6 hours × $60/hr. $2,160.00 2 Tandem Axle Dump Trucks – 4 hrs. @ $90.46/hr. each $723.68 Single Axle Dump Truck – 2 hrs. @ $68.52/hr. $137.04 2 One-Ton Trucks – 1 hr. @ $16.58/hr. each $33.16 Equipment Trailer – 1 hr. @ $24.48/hr. $24.48 Excavator – 6 hrs. @ $67.86/hr. $407.16 Skid Loader – 2 hrs. @ $38.48/hr. $76.96 Asphalt – 8 tons @ $75.00/ton $600.00 Roller Compactor – 1 hr. @ $47.04/hr. $47.04 ¾" TB Stone – 20 tons @ $11.26/ton $225.20 Road Saw – 1 hr. @ $75.42/hr. $75.42 2 Plate Compactors – 2 hrs. @ $41.74/hr. each $166.96 15" × 24' CMPA Culvert $630.00 Topsoil, Seed & Straw $600.00 Subtotal $5,906.42 Notes • Fuel is not included Village of Lisbon Public Works W234 N8676 Woodside Road Lisbon, WI 53089 262-246-3416 Cost Summary 2026 Brush Pick-Up Category Calculation Cost Fuel 1,766 gal × $4.93 $8,706.38 Labor 816 hrs × $60.00 $48,960.00 Loader 24 hrs × $75.10 $1,802.40 Excavator 168 hrs × $67.86 $11,400.48 Truck 546 hrs × $79.49 $43,401.54 Grand Total $114,270.80 Days to complete: 24 Loads hauled to compost site: 763 Average cost per load: $149.77 o $114,270.80 ÷ 763 loads Average cost per day: $4,761.28 o $114,270.80 ÷ 24 days Average loads per day: 31.8 o 763 ÷ 24 Cost Breakdown by Percentage Verified Grand Total: $114,270.80 Submitted by DPW Director Nick Wilichowski Category Cost % of Total Labor $48,960.00 42.8% Truck $43,401.54 38.0% Excavator $11,400.48 10.0% Fuel $8,706.38 7.6% Loader $1,802.40 1.6% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 50 51 52 A B R S T U V W X Y Z 12/31/2021 12/31/2022 12/31/2023 12/31/2024 12/31/2025 1/1/2026 8/30/2026 2026 2027 G/L YEAR END YEAR END YEAR END YEAR END YEAR END APPROVED END OF MONTH ESTIMATED PROPOSED ACCOUNT PER AUDIT PER AUDIT PER AUDIT PER AUDIT PER AUDIT BUDGET ACTUAL YEAR END BUDGET REVENUES INTERGOVERNMENTAL 35-430-431-1100Payments for Municipal Service - - - - - - - VILLAGE OF MERTON 8,532 8,816 8,606 10,154 9,215 10,332 4,717 10,532 10,332 35-430-431-1102COMPOST - V/MERTON WAGES 5,508 4,266 4,706 5,314 6,155 6,332 977 6,332 6,332 35-440-449-2004COMPOST - V/MERTON PASSES 3,024 4,550 3,900 4,840 3,060 4,000 3,740 4,200 4,000 TOWN OF MERTON 15,508 14,226 14,706 15,387 15,635 17,832 10,701 18,332 17,832 35-430-431-1103COMPOST - T/MERTON WAGES 5,508 4,266 4,706 4,847 4,615 6,332 977 6,332 6,332 35-440-449-2005COMPOST - T/MERTON PASSES 10,000 9,960 10,000 10,540 11,020 11,500 9,724 12,000 11,500 35-440-449-2003COMPOST PASSES - LISBON 15,818 17,510 18,462 20,103 21,636 21,000 18,769 22,500 21,000 35-490-492-1000TRANSFER FROM GENERAL FUND - 58,454 - - - - - - - 35-490-492-2600TRANSFER FROM ARP FUND - 165 - - - - - TOTAL REVENUES 39,859 99,007 41,774 45,644 46,485 49,164 34,187 51,364 49,164 EXPENSES 35-561-510-1100SALARIES - PT PPL - COMPOST 12,865 12,743 13,712 14,615 14,086 14,000 935 14,000 14,000 35-560-520-1100SALARIES - RECEPTION - COMPOST 2,120 1,858 1,308 1,515 1,519 3,188 419 3,188 3,315 35-560-520-2100FICA - RECEPTION - COMPOST 148 147 107 122 122 244 35 244 254 35-560-520-2200WRS - RECEPTION - COMPOST 142 126 89 104 105 230 30 230 239 35-560-520-2300GROUP INS - RECEPTION - NEW - 252 90 91 87 186 23 186 186 35-561-520-1100SALARIES - FT HWY - COMPOST 15,746 5,014 6,752 3,726 3,963 4,266 1,739 4,266 4,394 35-561-520-1200SALARIES - OT - HWY - COMPOST - 367 471 196 242 - 79 79 - 35-561-520-2100FICA -FT HWY - COMPOST 984 784 1,582 1,404 1,385 1,397 213 1,397 1,397 35-561-520-2200WRS - HWY - COMPOST - 345 490 268 288 296 137 296 305 35-561-520-2300GROUP INS - HWY - COMPOST - 375 674 328 350 598 126 598 587 35-561-530-3100SUPPLIES - COMPOST 2,086 377 155 80 34 150 23 100 150 Compost Portion of Accounting Software Upgrade 35-561-530-3700GAS/OIL/GREASE - COMPOST 1,467 2,078 1,862 1,491 1,460 1,882 702 2,000 1,882 35-561-530-4400CONTRACTED SVCS - GRINDER 13,890 17,939 17,504 13,200 22,679 22,000 16,335 30,000 22,000 35-561-530-7200TELEPHONE - COMPOST 162 31 50 - - - - 35-561-530-7150ELECTRICITY COMPOST SITE - 204 224 62 162 200 93 200 200 35-561-550-1000MOVING COMPOST SITE 27,246 33,729 19,921 - - - - 35-561-570-8000COMPOST UTIL DEV (CAP OUTLAY) - - - - - - - TOTAL EXPENSES 76,855 76,370 64,991 37,202 46,484 48,637 20,888 56,784 48,909 NET COMPOST (36,997) 22,637 (23,218) 8,442 2 527 13,299 (5,420) 255 Compost Fund Page 1 of 1 Village of Lisbon Public Works W234 N8676 Woodside Road Lisbon, WI 53089 262-246-3416 Discussion: Replacing Current Parks WAM Mowers with Zero-Turn Mowers Purpose The purpose of this discussion is to present the benefits of replacing the Parks Department's current WAM (Wide Area Mower) fleet with commercial zero-turn mowers. After observing mowing operations over the past several years, evaluating multiple equipment options, conducting mower demonstrations, and comparing productivity, costs, and operational efficiency, I believe transitioning to zero-turn mowers is the most effective long-term solution. Current Equipment The Parks Department currently operates: • One John Deere 11-foot WAM mower • One Toro 11-foot WAM mower • One Toro 6-foot front-mount mower These mowers are used by two full-time Parks employees and approximately three seasonal summer employees to maintain all City parks. Grass mowing occupies a significant portion of the Parks Department's weekly workload. Under the current operation, it takes approximately 2½ days to mow all park properties. Challenges with the Current Operation 1. CDL Restrictions Limit Staffing Efficiency The largest operational issue is that seasonal employees cannot tow the WAM mowers because of CDL restrictions. As a result, Jeff, one of the full-time Parks employees, must spend much of each week mowing instead of working alongside Mike on park maintenance and improvement projects. This limits productivity during the busiest part of the season when additional labor is available. 2. WAM Mowers Are Slower Than Expected Although WAM mowers have an 11-foot cutting width, field testing showed they average only 4.5 mph while mowing due to ride quality, terrain, and maneuverability limitations. After demonstrating several commercial zero-turn mowers, average mowing speeds ranged between 9 and 10 mph, more than double the speed of the WAMs. While the WAMs appear much larger on paper, actual productivity tells a different story. • WAM mower: approximately 5.4 acres per hour • 72-inch commercial zero-turn: approximately 6 acres per hour The increased travel speed and significantly better maneuverability around trees, fences, playgrounds, and other obstacles allow the zero-turn to match or exceed the productivity of a WAM mower. 3. High Equipment Cost WAM mowers are expensive to purchase and maintain. • 2020 WAM purchase price: approximately $67,000 • Ferris ISX3300 72-inch zero-turn: $17,437 In addition to lower purchase costs, zero-turn mowers are simpler machines with lower maintenance costs, fewer unique replacement parts, and reduced repair expenses. Their smaller size also decreases the likelihood of contacting tree limbs or other obstacles throughout the parks. Proposed Equipment Replace the John Deere WAM and one Toro mower with: • Three Ferris ISX3300 commercial 72-inch zero-turn mowers After evaluating several manufacturers through demonstrations, the Ferris mower provided the best combination of: • Ride quality • Speed • Hill performance • Maneuverability • Ease of loading and unloading • Overall value • Productivity Improvements Using three zero-turn mowers provides several operational advantages. • All mowing could be completed by seasonal employees. This allows full time staff to perform maintenance, repairs, and park improvement projects throughout the summer instead of spending multiple days mowing. • Three mowers can be operating simultaneously. • Although the combined cutting width of three zero-turns (18 feet) is narrower than two WAM mowers (22 feet), the higher mowing speeds produce greater overall productivity. Example: Current Operation Two WAM mowers combined cutting width: 22 feet Average speed: 4.5 mph Time required to mow 5 acres: approximately 30 minutes Proposed Operation Three 72-inch zero-turn mowers combined cutting width: 18 feet Average speed: 9 mph Time required to mow 5 acres: approximately 16 minutes • Reducing mowing time allows seasonal staff to spend more of each week assisting with park maintenance projects instead of mowing. Hill Performance and Safety • One of the primary concerns expressed has been the ability of zero-turn mowers to safely operate on hills. • During demonstrations, the proposed zero-turn mowers successfully mowed all park hills, including conditions immediately following rainfall. They also loaded and unloaded from trailers safely without any operational concerns. • Based on these demonstrations, we believe they can safely perform all mowing currently completed by the WAM mowers. Maintenance and Equipment Life Commercial zero-turn mowers are designed for heavy municipal and commercial use and routinely exceed 3,000 operating hours. I would recommend replacing each mower at approximately 3,000 hours, or roughly every seven years, to maintain fleet reliability. Operating three identical mowers also provides several maintenance advantages: • Common blades and wear parts • Shared tires and replacement components • Simplified maintenance procedures • Reduced parts inventory • Increased fleet reliability Training Seasonal employees would receive training before operating the equipment. Training would include: • Safe mower operations • Loading and unloading procedures • Trailer towing • Daily inspections • Safe travel routes between parks A designated mowing route would also be developed to minimize difficult towing situations and improve efficiency. Fiscal Impact The cost for three commercial Ferris zero turn mowers with 72” decks is $52,311.00 Staff anticipates the sale of the John Deere and Torro to be between $35,000 and $50,000. There would be some cost to the transition. Staff would propose paying for a portion of the mini excavator with stormwater funds and using the remaining proceeds of selling equipment to cover the rest. Below is an example of how this project could be funded: • Sale of equipment: $40,000 • Stormwater budget allocation to mini excavator: $12,311 • Supplement funds from debt originally for mini to zero turns: $12,311 Recommendation Based on equipment demonstrations, productivity testing, cost comparisons, and operational observations, replacing the current WAM mowing operation with three commercial Ferris ISX3300 zero-turn mowers provides significant advantages. The proposed fleet would: • Reduce overall mowing time. • Allow seasonal employees to complete mowing independently. • Free full-time Parks staff to focus on maintenance and park improvement projects. • Lower equipment purchase and maintenance costs. • Simplify fleet maintenance through standardized equipment. • Improve maneuverability and efficiency around trees, fences, and other obstacles. • Maintain safe operation on park terrain, including hills. Overall, transitioning to commercial zero-turn mowers is the most efficient and cost-effective solution for the Parks Department while improving productivity, reducing operating costs, and making better use of both full-time and seasonal staff.