Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Bid crowd
Whitman County commissioners approved large equipment bids Feb. 20 for two road graders and a loader. Western States Equipment Co. of Boise was chosen at a price of $494,626 for two graders, with two trade-in graders from the county.
For the loader, Papé Machinery of Spokane bid $221,007 as the low number, approved by commissioners to sell the county a new John Deere loader. They will take the old one from the county as a trade-in.
The bids were opened after a crowd filed into seats at the commissioners’ chambers – representatives of the bidding companies which brought their envelopes in by hand before the 11 a.m. deadline.
Public Works Director Mark Storey presented the envelopes to Commissioner Art Swannack to open.
Graders went first.
The first number out of the envelope was $535,626.78 from Western States, with a subtraction for the trade-in of two graders for an adjusted total of $494,626.78. The next was from Papé Machinery of Spokane, for a John Deere 626 GP 2018 for $577,400 with a $57,000 trade-in for a total of $520,400.
For loaders, Papé’s envelope had a bid of $246,077.46 with a trade-in of $25,000 for a total of $221,007.43. Pac West Machinery was next, their bid coming in at $246,650 for a Volvo L 110 H and a trade-in for $20,010 for a total of $226,650.
Nor-lift JCB of Spokane came next, for a JCB Model 457 at $258,537.27 and a trade-in price of $19,000.
In looking over the bid, Swannack noted that sales tax needed to be removed. More bid envelopes followed.
The final one opened was from Western States of Boise for a Caterpillar 950 GC at $294,254.88 with a $28,000 trade for a total of $221,254.88. Papé Machinery, with the lowest number, got the contract.
By law, commissioners choose the lowest qualifying bid.
The new county vehicles will be delivered in the next three months, transportation costs already included in the bids.
Road graders are used for grading gravel roads in the warmer months and for plowing snow in the winter with V-plows with an option of a wing plow as well.
Loaders are used to load rocks and also remove snow with V-plows in the winter.
Graders and loaders often run 1,000-1,200 hours per year for the county, lasting 12 to 20 years.
The two graders the county traded in were a 1996 John Deere and a 2001 John Deere.
Representatives wait in the commissioners’ chambers for the opening of bids for equipment.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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