Pulaski County Commissioners Accept Bids for Highway Department Equipment

Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Highway Department will soon have some new equipment. The county commissioners Monday approved the purchase of a ditch bank rotary mower from Bane-Welker Equipment for $8,950. Theirs was the only bid, and it met all of the specifications. Likewise, Braun Chevrolet in Winamac submitted the only bid for the three-quarter ton pickup truck the highway department was looking to buy. The commissioners approved the purchase of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD for $30,950 from the local dealership. Highway Superintendent Mark Fox says the county got 17 dump truck bids. The commissioners accepted his recommendation to buy a Mack truck with a Jones body from Pozzo Truck Center and let Terry Truck Equipment in Winamac fit the chassis with the necessary uplift. Fox says that’s the most cost-effective way to go, for a total of $151,642. The truck still needs to have a power passenger window so the driver can see while plowing snow and a chip box hitch installed. Fox says the two additions should not cost more than $1,500. That vehicle will have a 15 to 20 year lifespan.

The commissioners rejected the lone bid they received for a diesel tractor. Bane-Welker’s bid exceeded the specifications, as it was for a four-wheel-drive tractor. Fox says the extra drive train will cost the county considerably more to maintain. The county will solicit new tractor bids later this year.