North Judson Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann informed town council members about the projected cost for repairs on the utility tractor during their meeting Monday night.
In previous meetings, Horstmann brought the failing tractor to the council’s attention, stating that the John Deere model was from the 1960s and that it had many issues that made it inoperable. He proposed completely replacing the tractor and sought out some used ones to buy. He was only able to find on used tractor and two new tractors for sale.
At the last town council meeting, Councilman Josh Brown asked Horstmann to have the tractor serviced to find out how much it would cost to make the repairs, as purchasing a new tractor is not necessarily feasible for the town at this time.
Horstmann explained that after having the tractor looked at by GreenMark Equipment, they found six major problems that would cost $5,271.50 to repair. He said for that price, they offered to perform a tune up on the tractor and fix the clutch, the water pump, the break-away couplings and leaks in the exhaust and the hydraulic pump.
While considering whether or not to move forward with the repairs, Councilman James Young mentioned that it would cost a lot less than replacing it. Members agreed that having the tractor up and running would be worth the cost. Members established a purchase order for the cost of the repairs and then voted unanimously to approve the P.O.
