The Whitley County Commissioners opened competitive bids for the highway department and voted to take all submissions under advisement for staff review.

The bid opening included gasoline and diesel offers, liquid asphalt and emulsions, cold patch, multiple grades of base binder and HMA surfaces, calcium chloride, aggregate and limestone, culverts and heavy-equipment rental proposals. Vendors represented in the packet included National Oil and Gas Incorporated, Sunoco LP, Ag Plus, Pearson Trucking Company, Asphalt Materials Incorporated, Milestone Contractors, Brooks Construction, Kimball Sand and Gravel (doing business as Fox Contractors), IMI Incorporated and others.

Commissioners noted inconsistent formats among bid submissions — for example, some firms provided multiple copies or different price presentations — and suggested issuing a standard bid form in future solicitations to reduce ambiguity. Highway staff said heavy-equipment rental details and complete bid schedules will be posted on the county website and that contractors may contact highway director Ryan Getz for clarification.

At the close of the opening, the board voted to take the bids under advisement, preserving envelopes and paperwork for formal award decisions at a later date. No formal contract awards were made during the meeting; commissioners instructed staff to compare unit prices and freight/pickup terms before returning recommendations.

The board’s action leaves unit-price comparisons and award recommendations to highway staff and the county’s purchasing process. The highway director will follow up with commissioners with a detailed bid summary and recommended awards.