Christian County approves emergency repair of storm-damaged wood chipper

The Christian County Commission on Thursday approved an emergency procurement to repair a storm-damaged wood chipper used for roadside debris removal.

Presiding Commissioner Lord said the county authorized a $12,154.16 payment to Vermeer Company of Brookline to replace the chipper's damaged drum and associated labor, about $154 over the county's procurement threshold and therefore recorded as an emergency purchase. The purchase was entered into the certified commission orders for the minutes.

Auditor and highway staff said the chipper is about 19 years old and has several thousand operating hours. Officials estimated the drum part alone would cost about $7,000–$8,000 to replace; by contrast, buying a new machine of the same model would cost roughly $85,000. Commissioners said the county chose repair to restore service quickly and conserve funds.

Commissioners also discussed service continuity after the breakdown. Staff said the county has been sharing another chipper between routes (referred to as C1 and C2) while repairs were arranged and that burning at one shop location reduced pressure on routes that can burn debris.

A motion to approve the emergency procurement was made, seconded and passed by the commission. The repair will be documented in the next available minutes as required by statute.