Road and Bridge staff and county finance presented 2026 capital items and a multi‑year plan that includes three new graders, shop work and a combined service truck with a crane.

Staff said the three graders appear as assets in the capital budget (about $1.4 million total) and that the purchase is offset by a loan and trade‑in credits, producing no net budget impact in the capital column. Commissioners asked whether the graders would be leased or purchased; staff said the graders are being financed with a loan and appeared as assets, while lease payments for heavy equipment remain in the leases line. A trade‑in allowance of roughly $525,000 was explained as part of the asset accounting.

Road and Bridge also proposed partial shop work (Kremmling and other shop items), $130,000 for a water truck and a $100,000 service truck with a crane and a $7,000 welder. Commissioners probed the crane truck request, asking whether a service truck with a crane would have the lift capacity to replace the older crusher crane truck used for heavy lifts. Road and Bridge staff said the new service truck would have higher capacity than their small mechanics’ crane and could replace multiple older trucks, and that some older units had been repurposed from chassis such as former ambulances.

Commissioners asked about options to lease vehicles for short high‑use periods (e.g., election months). Staff said a short‑term lease might make sense for heavy seasonal demand but that prior analyses showed long‑term leasing generally did not pencil out for Grand County because the county retains vehicles longer and the motor pool operates differently than high‑mileage municipal fleets.

Staff also described a hand‑me‑down approach for fleet management: newer motor‑pool vehicles are moved into departmental roles after a few years while newer purchases are used for longer‑distance travel. Commissioners asked staff to clarify shop locations and confirm the procurement approach before finalizing capital expenditures.