Albany board authorizes purchase of 20,000 feet of aluminum utility wire

The Albany Utility Board authorized staff Aug. 14 to enter a purchase order with TriState Utility Products of Marietta, Ga., for 20,000 feet of 1/0 aluminum utility conductor at a contract price of $71,800.

Staff said 11 vendors were solicited and only one bid was received; outreach to non-bidders found some firms do not supply the exact requested product or chose not to bid. Warehouse staff explained that 20,000 feet approximates the typical on-hand inventory and would cover about half to three-quarters of a year depending on capital-project usage. Lead time from the vendor is approximately six to eight weeks.

During discussion board members noted ongoing capital projects that will consume stock and urged coordination between project schedules and materials ordering to avoid shortages. The board approved the purchase by roll-call vote.

The contract award is budgeted through materials-management and finance as described in the solicitation; staff said the warehouse’s storage capacity constrains ordering larger lots, but staff will monitor project schedules and replenish as needed.