Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County awards purchase of two motor graders to NMC (Caterpillar) after bid review
Summary
Following a public reading of bids, the board approved purchasing two Cat 140 all-wheel-drive motor graders from NMC (Caterpillar) for a net county cost of $656,350, after comparing trade allowances, features and delivery timelines; commissioners also questioned bid-opening procedures.
Lincoln County voted Dec. 8 to buy two motor graders from NMC (Caterpillar) after Highway Superintendent Jason Schultz and Deputy Brian Goss read and compared bids from Murphy Tractor (John Deere) and NMC (Cat). Bids included list prices, trade allowances, and options; the low net cost from NMC was $656,350 versus Murphy’s net of $662,253.30. County staff said the bid comparison accounted for features such as filter kits, DPF assurance, blade stabilization and delivery timelines; Caterpillar machines were in stock with short delivery, while Murphy projected February–March delivery.
Schultz said both vendors provided comparable machines but noted differences in features (Murphy’s DPF assurance and Cat’s blade stabilization and in-stock availability). Staff recommended the NMC (Cat) machines as the best overall value given the lower net cost and faster availability. Commissioners discussed procurement procedure, with one commissioner requesting the clerk be present at future bid openings to ensure copies of original bids are filed. Murphy representative John Webster explained the DPF assurance (replacement coverage over a stated hours range) and asked that vendor representatives be allowed to attend the bid opening and initial analysis.
A motion to purchase two Cat 140 all-wheel-drive graders from NMC for a net cost of $656,350 was made and passed by roll call. Commissioners recorded no opposing votes; staff will finalize purchase and coordinate trade-ins and delivery.
