Header

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Council accepts $232,258 bid for new fire truck

The Midway City Council voted this morning to accept the low bid of $232,258 on a fire truck to replace one that is 42 years old, part of Mayor Tom Bozarth's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The city has one other truck, which is 10 years old.

Bozarth appointed a committee of Council Members Dan Roller, Sharon Turner and Grayson Vandegrift to determine the best way to finance the purchase. Turner and Vandegrift are running to suceeed Bozarth, who is not seeking re-election.

The draft version of Bozarth's budget calls for the city to spend $125,000 of its $205,000 surplus on the fire truck. He has suggested financing the rest of it with a low-interest loan from the state.

The low bid of five opened May 9 was made by Sutphen Fire Apparatus of Dublin, Ohio. Its bid was $1,047 less than the next highest bid. "Versailles bought a fire truck from them and they're very happy with it," Bozarth said.

Council Member Sara Hicks asked if the city sought bids from any Kentucky companies. Bozarth said it did,and an Edgewood company bid $238,628. He said High Tech Rescue of Shelbyville, which submitted the highest bid of $253,534, is only a distributor for an Iowa manufacturer.

Bozarth said he, Fire Chief Butch Armstrong and other firefighters "looked at the two low bids" and agreed to recommend the Sutphen bid. He said the company is relatively close and has a good service network in the area.

In other business, the council voted to reduce the city's contribution to the combined emergency services department to $5,896 from $8,309 and have city attorney Phil Moloney send a letter asking that the formula for city contributions be renegotiated.

No comments: