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Cole County awards towing contract to Broadway Record after local vendors complain about process
Summary
The Cole County Commission voted to award a towing and storage contract (Bid 2025-31) to Broadway Record Service after the sheriff recommended the vendor; several local tow operators raised procurement and facility concerns and commissioners directed post-award due diligence.
The Cole County Commission voted Feb. 3 to award its towing and storage contract (bid 2025-31) to Broadway Record Service following a recommendation from the sheriff’s office and a staff review.
During discussion, several local tow operators questioned whether Broadway Record met the procurement’s facility and staffing expectations and said confusion caused by a prior bid cancellation (bid 2025-29) may have affected how some vendors submitted responses. Broadway owner Scott Martin told the commission his firm holds a city license, operates trucks in the region and maintains inside storage that complies with Missouri State Highway Patrol requirements. He said his company employs drivers who can be moved to the area as needed.
Purchasing staff explained the bid history: an earlier solicitation (2025-29) drew a nonresponsive response and was canceled; the RFP was reissued as 2025-31. Staff said one vendor’s submission had the wrong bid heading (29 instead of 31) after a sheriff staff link error; purchasing determined that the numeric prices could fairly be moved onto the reissued bid and recommended evaluating competitiveness rather than discarding the bidder’s numbers.
Commissioner (Speaker 7) moved to award the contract to Broadway Record Service; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. One commissioner voiced a dissent during the roll of vocal affirmations. Commissioners asked that the sheriff’s office and purchasing complete an on-site inspection and due diligence to confirm facility compliance and performance after the award.
The commission’s action was procedural: awarding the contract was accompanied by repeated requests from vendors to clarify how facility and hourly charges were compared across bids. The sheriff’s office confirmed it would inspect compliance with the RFP and, if necessary, pursue rebidding or the alternate vendor identified in rankings.
The commission did not provide a tallied roll-call vote in the minutes; the award passed on a voice vote and was recorded as approved.
