Moffat County commissioners award three Road & Bridge bids; mag chloride program reduced after price rise

Moffat County commissioners on Feb. 11 voted to accept three Road & Bridge bid recommendations, awarding contracts for a dump box, cattle guards and mag chloride supply and noting that rising chemical costs will reduce the county’s mag chloride program this year.

The county accepted a low bid of $35,360 from Industrial Welding Supply of Sterling for an elliptical dump box to be installed on a 10-wheeler, the commissioners were told. The board also approved a bid of $28,238.40 submitted by Craig Steele (bidder name in the packet) to fabricate cattle guards and extra iron needed during the year. Finally, the board accepted the lone mag chloride bid received at $1.15 per gallon from the vendor listed in the bid packet; Road & Bridge staff said the per-gallon price rose 15 cents this year and that the increase will force the department to remove roughly 14.5 miles from the mag chloride program in the coming season.

Why it matters

Mag chloride is used by the county to treat unpaved roads. Road & Bridge staff told the board the per-gallon cost has risen since 2017 (staff cited a rise from roughly $0.69 per gallon in 2017 to $1.15 per gallon now) and said the county has narrowed the treatment program and cut treated miles as costs increased. Commissioners discussed that tighter budgets have left fewer miles of road receiving mag chloride each year.

Details, discussion and procedural notes

- Dump box: Industrial Welding Supply (Sterling) — recommended award $35,360; staff said two bids were received and the recommended vendor met specifications. The motion to award passed.

- Cattle guards/iron: bid for $28,238.40 (bidder listed as Craig Steele in the packet) — staff said one qualified bid was received after other submissions were incorrectly submitted or late; the county’s budget for cattle gates was $50,000. The motion to award passed.

- Mag chloride: single bid accepted at $1.15 per gallon (vendor shown in the packet). Staff said the higher unit cost reduces the miles that can be treated within the current budget and noted the county has reduced mag chloride miles over recent years as the per-gallon cost rose. The motion to accept the mag chloride bid passed.

Votes and outcomes

Each of the three Road & Bridge items was moved, seconded and approved by the board during the Feb. 11 meeting; the clerk recorded the motions as carried.

What the record shows

The purchases were presented by Road & Bridge staff (recorded in the transcript as Dan and Road & Bridge staff). The transcript shows staff explained the budget impacts of rising mag chloride prices and that only one mag chloride bid was received. The board recorded formal motions and votes to accept each of the three bids; the transcript records ‘‘Aye’’ votes and the chair indicated each motion carried.

Clarifying details and vendor names

- The transcript identifies Industrial Welding Supply (Sterling) and a bidder recorded as Craig Steele for the cattle guards. The mag chloride bidder is listed inconsistently in the transcript and meeting remarks; staff identified the accepted unit price as $1.15 per gallon. The packet on file with county procurement is the authoritative source for final vendor names and contract documents.

Next steps

Staff will proceed with purchase orders and installation/contract scheduling for the dump box and cattle guards, and Road & Bridge will schedule mag chloride application consistent with the reduced mileage dictated by the budget and the higher per-gallon price.