Anchorage Assembly set to approve $1.53M landfill loader replacement

The Anchorage Regional Landfill's primary wheel loader, which moves, compacts, and manages waste and recyclables every day, is being replaced under a $1,534,465 purchase the Anchorage Assembly is scheduled to approve Monday, July 21.

Bryan Protzman, superintendent of Solid Waste Services, wrote in the department memorandum requesting the purchase that the existing Caterpillar 988K XE "is no longer cost effective to repair and maintain." Replacing it, the memo says, will improve reliability and reduce downtime at the landfill.

The new 2026 Caterpillar 988 XE Wheel Loader carries a list price of $1,634,465. A cooperative purchasing contract negotiated through Sourcewell delivers an 11 percent discount off that list price, saving $193,695. NC Machinery, the authorized Caterpillar dealer serving Alaska, is also accepting the old loader as a trade-in for $100,000, bringing the net cost to $1,534,465, the not-to-exceed amount set in the Assembly memorandum. The quoted price includes freight to the landfill, machine preparation, and operator manuals and training. Funding comes from the 2026 Processing and Disposal Capital Budget.

The purchase routes through Sourcewell Contract No. 011723-CAT, a competitively solicited agreement publicly advertised in November 2022, with proposals due in January 2023. The contract allows participating government entities, including Anchorage, to buy directly from authorized dealers without running their own bid process.

Kelli Toth, director of Solid Waste Services, recommended the purchase. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance submitted the memorandum for the July 21 meeting.