ROGERS -- The City Council approved Tuesday buying a tractor and a snow broom to help clear Rogers Executive Airport during inclement weather.
The 75-hp tractor will be bought from Williams Tractor in Rogers for $37,100. A tractor-mounted runway snow broom will be bought from Wisconsin's M-B Cos. for $65,000, and the combination of the two pieces essentially creates a snow plow.
"Rogers is fortunate enough to have a healthy reserve that we can rely on when it comes to budget time," said Mayor Greg Hines. "Our airport has the largest private fleet in the state, so it's important that it stays open in inclement weather."
Though the airport has one snow broom, Hines said having a newer one to rely on would create not only a backup but make clearing runways a faster process.
During the spring and summer months, the tractor will be used as a bush hog, said Frankie Guyll, Street Department superintendent.
"It was suggested that the tractor be something for the airport and [Rogers] to share," Guyll said. "I can put a shovel on it" to add to its many uses.
"We can partner with the Street Department to share one tractor to mow in the summer and use for snow removal, primarily, in the winter," said David Krutsch, airport manager. "The current equipment we have (for these purposes) is 10 years old and the new tractor would serve as a backup to the existing one."
Identifying a need multiple city departments had and serving them through a single set of purchases is proof the council wants to remain good stewards of taxpayers money, Hines said.
"We had two departments asking for the same equipment, so it worked out well," Hines said. "The Street Department was able to share with airport instead of sitting idle some months of the year."
NW News on 06/29/2016