Wichita County accepts low bids for crushed concrete, hot-mix and plastic culverts; rejects cold‑lay bids
Loading...
Summary
The commissioners approved primary and secondary vendors for crushed concrete, hot-mix and plastic culverts, and voted to reject cold-lay bids after staff and commissioners said bidders may not guarantee supply.
Wichita County commissioners on Tuesday awarded multiple public-works supply contracts and rejected cold-lay bids after discussion about availability and delivery logistics.
The court approved a slate of primary and secondary vendors: Big City was named primary for crushed concrete (origin), OS and S listed as secondary for origin and primary for delivery; Zach Burkett was approved as the primary vendor for hot-mix; Texoma was approved as primary for plastic culverts with Landex as secondary. The commissioners voted 5-0 on a motion to approve the selections and to reject the cold-lay bids.
Why it matters: County road crews rely on timely delivery and predictable pricing for chip sealing, cold-lay patching and other maintenance work. Commissioners discussed that a low bid does not guarantee local availability and that delivery capacity and distance factor into operational value.
Discussion highlights: Commissioners and staff said some bidders submit prices but cannot guarantee material is in stock or can be delivered when needed. One commissioner noted that in practice crews sometimes must call multiple suppliers to secure material and that travel time and load limits (two loads per day from a farther plant versus three from a closer plant) influence the effective cost. County staff reported previous pricing of about $90 per ton earlier this year for certain materials.
The motion, made by Commissioner Fincannon and seconded by Commissioner Beauchamp, specified: crushed concrete origin — Big City (primary) and OS and S (secondary); crushed concrete delivery — OS and S (primary); hot-mix — Zach Burkett (primary); reject all cold-lay bids; plastic culverts — Texoma (primary) and Landex (secondary). The court recorded the motion as carrying 5-0.
Implementation notes: County staff asked for a completed bid sheet to distribute to foremen and to CC the foremen by email. Commissioners directed staff to prioritize availability and delivery convenience alongside price when placing orders and to allow ad hoc purchasing when contracted suppliers cannot provide material.
Background: The item was presented as part of routine procurement for road materials and supplies; commissioners referenced a statutory change affecting bid timelines beginning Sept. 1 but said existing contracts would continue through their life.
