County Commission Approves Purchase of 2024 Motor Graders

In Tuesday's County Commission Meeting, the Road & Bridge Department presented a proposal on 2024 Motor Graders, urging action on the contract for the acquisition of two new motor graders. The sealed bids, unveiled on December 4, 2023, at the Road & Bridge Building, disclosed trade values for two 2018 Caterpillar Motor graders, one with 8,533 hours and another with 7,846 hours.

Three competitive bids were submitted, with the following details:

• Foley Equipment - 2023 Model 150
  Total Bid: $831,400
  Trade: $191,000
  Net Cost: $640,400
• Murphy Tractor - 2024 Model 670GP
  Total Bid: $879,318
  Trade: $195,000
  Net Cost: $684,318

2024 Model 770GP

• Total Bid: $888,100
• Trade: $195,000
• Net Cost: $693,100

Saline County has employed the Total Cost Bidding method since 1990, enabling a comprehensive assessment of major costs before finalizing a machine purchase. This method ensures competitive bidding and provides guarantees on maximum equipment costs. The purchase agreement outlines the acquisition cost, as well as the capped expenses for repairs and scheduled maintenance.

In terms of budget impact, the Road and Bridge Special Machinery account currently holds a balance of $2,035,784.21. The proposed purchase of $640,400 for the 2023 model 150 motor grader would leave a remaining balance of $1,395,384.21. It's worth noting that the Prudent Reserve for this account is set at $1M.

The motion to approve the acceptance of Foley Equipment's bid, totaling $640,400.00 for the 2023 model 150 motor grader, along with the trade of the 2018 motor graders, received unanimous approval.