Snow is cleared from a sidewalk along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. This tractor is similar to the new Trackless MT 7 and snowblower attachment being purchased by the city for this coming winter. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion file)

Snow is cleared from a sidewalk along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. This tractor is similar to the new Trackless MT 7 and snowblower attachment being purchased by the city for this coming winter. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion file)

Soldotna to add new tractor for snow clearing

Council adds funds after purchase price unexpectedly exceeds budget

The Soldotna City Council on Wednesday authorized the spending of an additional nearly $22,000 from the Streets capital fund for purchase of a new Trackless MT 7 municipal tractor and snowblower attachment.

The city’s budget for fiscal year 2025, which began on July 1, included $210,000 for purchase of the tractor and snowblower head. According to a memo from Maintenance Department Manager Scott Sundberg, included with an ordinance unanimously adopted by the council on Sept. 25, the price of the purchase jumped suddenly to nearly $232,000 this summer.

Sundberg writes that he verified the price of the purchase earlier this year with vendor Yukon Equipment, based in Anchorage. The city used the State of Alaska’s procurement site to create the budget and expected to purchase the equipment at a discounted “state pricing.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“Yukon was informed by (the manufacturer) this summer that the state pricing reached the limit and would no longer be available for us to piggyback,” the memo says.

Without access to the discount, Soldotna purchased the tractor alone for $207,000.

The ordinance adopted by the council appropriates a remaining $21,847 from the Streets and Maintenance Department’s capital project fund to the equipment replacement fund for the purchase of the snowblower attachment, which costs $23,880.

Soldotna Public Works Director Kyle Kornelis told the council on Wednesday that the trackless tractors are the smaller sidewalk clearing vehicles — “incredible machines” — that Soldotna has used in recent years.

With approval of the funding, Kornelis says that the tractor and snowblower attachment will both arrive in November, in time to hit the sidewalks this winter.

Asked by the council about issues with snow clearing that made headlines in Anchorage in 2023, Kornelis said Soldotna has the personnel and the equipment necessary to tackle snowfall in “a mostly timely manner.”

The ordinance was passed on a unanimous vote.

A full recording of the meeting and the full text of the ordinance can be found at soldotna.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in