Keith County rejects all tractor bids, schedules road audit and motor-grader training

The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted to reject all bids for four used tractors and directed staff to rebid and inspect available machines, while county road staff outlined a planned road-audit process and motor-grader training.

The action on the tractor bids came during regular business. A county roads representative described four offers received: one tractor had already been sold, two machines offered by a dealer were in poor condition, and a privately offered New Holland raised concerns about its mortgage history. "My recommendation is after looking at those tractors that we reject all bids and then I'll rebid," said Thomas Wilbur, a county staff member whose travel request also appeared on the agenda.

The board approved the motion to reject all bids on a recorded roll call. The motion was made by Commissioner Irvin and seconded by Commissioner Schroeder; Commissioners Wartman, Anderson, Schroeder, Irvin and Crandall voted "yes." The board recorded no votes against or abstentions.

County staff described next steps: staff will rebid the tractors and plan on a period for in-person inspection of candidate machines. Wilbur said staff intends to hand-deliver bid solicitations to sellers and allow time for on-site inspections, with a target window extending into early to mid-November to gather additional inventory. He said dealerships statewide have little used-equipment inventory available at the moment, and staff will also invite sealed bids from private sellers.

Roads department work discussed alongside the tractor procurement included motor-grader matters and a broader road-audit plan. Staff reported they issued specifications for motor-grader bids and will host motor-grader training Oct. 14–17 for West Central District highway superintendents and local employees; a company named Vista will provide four days of training in the county yard.

A road audit was described as a multi-stage effort using a previously compiled road master created by Rosedale Fuller as a starting point. Staff said Jake Sober (county staff) will drive and inspect every road during his afternoon shifts; the county surveyor, Ryan Dickinson, will assist with record research if deeds or right-of-way records are missing. County staff estimated the audit will produce reports for the board over the next three to four months and that the work could carry on for roughly a year.

Other maintenance items noted: the county completed a tire-amnesty collection and will clean up the roll-off yard; crews were working to smooth wheel ruts and prepare minimum-maintenance roads for harvest; staff also mentioned plans to improve drainage and guttering at the impound and yard areas to reduce freeze-related issues.

The board did not adopt funding changes for equipment at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to return with a rebid schedule and more specific bid solicitations; no vendor or purchase contract was awarded.

Votes and procedural details Motion to reject all tractor bids: motion by Commissioner Irvin; second by Commissioner Schroeder; roll call votes in favor by Commissioners Wartman, Anderson, Schroeder, Irvin and Crandall; outcome approved.

Why it matters The county will continue its equipment search while performing a systematic audit of roads and rights of way. The rebid process and the planned road audit could affect timing for maintenance and equipment availability ahead of winter and harvest seasons.

Who spoke about this item Thomas Wilbur, staff member; Justin Zetterman, HDR (engineering firm) representative; Jake Sober, staff member; Ryan Dickinson, surveyor; Rory, staff member; Commissioners Irvin, Schroeder, Wartman, Anderson, Crandall.

Ending Commissioners asked staff to return with a rebid timeline and any recommended specifications to ensure the county obtains equipment that meets operational needs.