Clay County approves yearly supply bids, gravel contract and purchase of four highway pickups

Clay County commissioners approved three highway-related procurement items May 13: yearly supply bids for culverts, asphalt and construction equipment rental; a gravel contract for townships 1–30; and the purchase of four pickups under a cooperative purchasing contract.

Justin, a highway department presenter, told the board the yearly supply bids opened May 7 and set firm prices for purchases of corrugated metal culverts, bituminous asphalt (mix) and rental-construction-equipment rates for one year. “When we buy culverts throughout the year, it just gives us a locked in price for the entire year,” Justin said. Commissioners voted to approve all recommended bids to preserve purchasing flexibility.

On gravel, the county received bids from Turner Sand and Gravel and Fitzgerald Construction. Justin recommended awarding the county-wide contract for townships 1 through 30 to Turner Sand and Gravel; townships that choose to join county bids did so, while some townships declined and will procure separately. The board approved the recommendation by voice vote.

The board also approved purchase of four pickups from Nelson Auto Center under a cooperative purchasing contract. The package included three Ford F-150 half-ton trucks intended for engineering technicians and winter maintenance use and one 3/4‑ton GMC for a road foreman. The quoted cooperative prices after tax were $52,913.81 each for the three half-ton units and $59,445.16 for the 3/4-ton unit; the presenter said the internal-service fund was short by $578.27 but proceeds from auctioning older units will replenish the fund after sale. "Unit 105, 107, and 119 are the half ton pickups… the cooperative purchasing price with tax is $52,913.81 each," Justin told commissioners.

Commissioners discussed vehicle life cycles, extended warranties, equipment-transfer practices and the difference between leasing (used by some county fleets) and purchasing (the highway department concluded purchasing is more cost-effective for its needs). The motion to buy the pickups was moved by Commissioner Kravenhoff and seconded by Commissioner Ebinger and passed by voice vote.

All three procurement items were presented as routine highway operations: the yearly supply bids lock in rates for anticipated purchases; the gravel contract continues county and township road maintenance support; and new pickups will be handed down within the highway fleet and older units will be sold at auction when the new pickups arrive.

The highway department will return to the board with final auction authorizations once delivery dates are firm and with any required adjustments for vehicle availability or upfit costs.