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Saline County approves $139,000 purchase of used 2020 Komatsu loader for road crews
Summary
At its March 25 meeting the Saline County Board of Commissioners approved RFA 2025-45 to buy a used 2020 Komatsu loader with a multi-tool attachment from Berry Tractor for $139,000 to replace an aging 2002 John Deere unit.
The Saline County Board of Commissioners on March 25 approved the purchase of a used 2020 Komatsu loader from Berry Tractor of Wichita, Kansas, at a price of $139,000.
County Road and Bridge Administrator Darren Fischel told the commission the loader has 1,317 hours and will replace a 2002 John Deere loader that has about 8,000 hours and needs a transmission repair that would exceed its value. "The machine has 1317 hours," Fischel said. He described the loader as a stockpile and salt loader that also functions as the shop's forklift using the multi-tool attachment.
Fischel said the purchase would be made under Saline County Policy 50-01 Part 5, an exceptions-to-bidding provision that allows used equipment to be purchased directly when it is determined to be in the county's best interest and price is negotiated. Delivery of the Komatsu is scheduled for April 2025. The county plans to sell the older loader at auction (Purple Wave) after the replacement arrives.
The county finance detail presented at the meeting showed the road and bridge special equipment account had an unencumbered balance of $1,234,424.96 before the purchase; buying the Komatsu would leave an unencumbered balance of $1,095,424.96. Commissioners asked whether staff had obtained other quotes; Fischel said staff contacted several dealers and received a higher quote for a different used unit.
A motion to approve RFA 2025-45 passed on a voice vote. The motion and second were recorded verbally; individual roll-call vote names were not recorded in the meeting transcript.
The county will dispose of the replaced loader via public auction and will fund the purchase from the road and bridge special equipment account.
Details recorded in the meeting transcript indicate the procurement relied on the county's exception to competitive bidding and relied on negotiation with the seller. No legal challenge or further conditions were recorded at the time of the vote.
