By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

Hamburg Township officials have approved the purchase of new equipment that will save money in the long run at the cemeteries.

At their most recent meeting, the Board of Trustees discussed the purchase of a new grave digging machine with DPW Technical Services Director Tony Randazzo. Randazzo was requesting the purchase of a Bobcat E50 R2 series excavator. He said there are pros and cons for buying versus renting, but he thinks that the township purchasing one is ultimately the best move. A two-day rental of that machine is $620 and Randazzo has concerns about being able to secure a rental unit during summer and fall months.

He sent out for quotes and received 2 that he called “very comparable.” He recommended purchasing the unit from Carleton Bobcat of Howell, for price of $70,804.88. The other quote came from a dealer in Ann Arbor and was $1,000 more expensive. Randazzo added that if they purchased through Carleton, they could have the excavator in May, versus late summer or early fall from Ann Arbor.

In addition to being used in the cemeteries, the Bobcat could also be used for other duties such as emergency sewer repairs, loading grinder pumps into yards, and repairing irrigation lines in parks.

To help offset the cost, he proposed auctioning off the DPW’s seldom used, non-excavating Bobcat and its attachments. The Board of Trustees approved the purchase.