Title/Name/Summary
Tree Stump Grinder - Purchase and Delivery
History
The Village’s tree crew, which is made up of arborists from the Natural Resources and Facilities (NRF) Division, utilize a tree stump grinder as part of its daily responsibilities. After a tree is cut down, a stump grinder is used to essentially shave the tree trunk down to below grade, at which point the area is either restored to turf grass or re-planted with a new tree. To date, the tree crew has completed 155 stump grinding work orders in 2021.
The NRF Division has two (2) existing stump grinders at its disposal: a 2001 Carlton walk-behind stump grinder and a 2013 Bradco SG26 stump grinding attachment for a skid steer. The Carlton unit was brought over from the Parks Department and is designed for the removal of small stumps (less than 6”). The Carlton unit is twenty (20) years old and has essentially reached the end of its service life. The Bradco unit can remove larger stumps but has proven to be inefficient and underpowered for most Village stump grinding applications. The Bradco unit, while relatively newer, does not have the mechanical capabilities nor the safety features needed to effectively meet the Village’s needs. Repairs to both units have increased in frequency in recent years as well. The motor on the Carlton unit has been replaced twice in the past five (5) years, while the hydraulic lines for the Bradco unit required repairs on three (3) separate occasions in 2020.
Operating the existing equipment is also a challenge. Both units need to be loaded and transported onto a trailer for each use. Once on-site, equipment is offloaded and maneuvered into place, at which point stump grinding can begin. The process of trailering, loading, and unloading, coupled with the subpar performance of the equipment, results in an overall inefficient and cumbersome stump grinding process.
In an effort to improve this process, NRF staff have investigated new stump grinding equipment options. In recent months, staff had the opportunity to demo two (2) commercial stump grinders: a Carlton 7500 and a Vermeer SC802 (both 74hp). Both units were designed to be towed behind a pick-up truck, meaning trailering, loading, and unloading are unnecessary. Once on site, the stump grinder is simply positioned into place and work begins.
As a comparison, staff can complete four (4) to six (6) work orders in a day on average using existing stump grinding equipment. When the demo equipment was used, the tree crew was able to complete nearly three (3) times that number of work orders. For example, on July 21, 2021, NRF staff set up a demonstration on Marley Creek Boulevard to compare the capabilities of the existing versus “new” stump grinding equipment (a large number of Bradford Pears have been removed over the past two (2) years on Marley Creek Boulevard). The 2013, Bradco SG26 was positioned on the south end of the Boulevard, while the Vermeer SC802 was positioned on the north end. Within one (1) hour, the Vermeer team completed nine (9) stump removals, while the Bradco team was able to complete only three (3).
Overall, staff preferred the performance power, maneuverability, and safety features of the Vermeer SC802 stump cutter as compared to the Carlton 7500. A proposal was requested from Vermeer Midwest, located in Aurora, IL, who provided a quote based on Sourcewell Cooperative contract #062117-VRM. If the purchase of a new stump grinder was approved, the Public Works Department would then begin the process of declaring surplus and auctioning the Carlton unit while maintaining the Bradco unit as a backup unit.
Staff is requesting approval to utilize Sourcewell Cooperative purchasing contract #062117-VRM and award the purchase and delivery of one (1) 2021 Vermeer SC802 stump grinder to Vermeer Midwest, LLC of Aurora, IL for an amount not to exceed $55,438.00 per the quote dated July 21, 2021.
Financial Impact
While funding was not budgeted for a new stump grinder in 2021, realized savings of $78,677.80 from the purchase of a new trash hauler is available for this purchase in account 010-5006-470300 (see summary below).
Trash Hauler (Budgeted): $190,000.00
Trash Hauler (Contract Cost): $111,322.20
Realized Savings: $78,677.80
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to approve to use Sourcewell Cooperative purchasing contract #062117-VRM;
And,
Award the purchase and delivery of one (1) Vermeer SC802 stump cutter to Vermeer Midwest, LLC of Aurora, IL for an amount not to exceed $55,438.00 per quote, dated July 21, 2021;
And,
Authorize the Village Manager to execute an agreement with Vermeer Midwest, LLC, subject to Village Attorney review.