County commissioners make annual bid awards

The Greene County Commissioners awarded bids Tuesday morning for fuel, oil products, aggregates, stone, bituminous material as well as culverts and bridges for the 2009 calendar year.

The bids were opened at the Dec. 23 meeting and tabled for review.

The commissioners agreed during their first regular meeting of the new year to award bids to most of the companies that submitted bid proposals.

Highway Department Superintendent Mike Hennette was instructed to check with the suppliers for the "best price" on the day of the order.

Commissioner's attorney Marilyn Hartman explained because of the fluctuation of the fuel price market, state statute allows for counties to secure two quotes before buying petroleum products.

"In general when you are taking competitive bids you are allowed to get two quotes. The petroleum bids are so volatile that if you call on one day you might get one company that is lower one time and the next time you call the other company might be lower because the base quote they get varies every day. In general, what you need to do is accept both bids," she said.

Bids were awarded to Hasler Oil Company (fuel); Asphalt Materials, Inc. (bituminous); White River Co-Op (fuel, oil, grease, antifreeze, windshield washer); Wabash Valley Asphalt (bituminous); Rogers Group (bituminous, stone, rip-rap, limestone fill); Dave O'Mara Construction (bituminous); BTI, Inc. (crushed stone, gravel and sand); Prairie Aggregates (sand and gravel); Lincoln Park Stone (stone, rip-rap, rock); St. Regis Culvert (various pipes and culverts); CPI, Inc. (various pipes and culverts); Metal Culverts, Inc. (various pipes and culverts); Cresridge Company (treated timber bridges).

A fuel bid from Petroleum Traders Corp. was rejected because it stipulated that purchases had to be made in 30,000 gallon shipments -- which is more than the county highway garage has capacity to store.

The commissioners also opened and tabled bids from 11 firms seeking to obtain the county's bridge inventory contract for the next four years.

The bids will be reviewed by the three commissioners and the county highway superintendent with help from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) on a "best qualification" basis. The maximum amount that can be paid is determined by INDOT and the committee will score the firms and award the contract to the firm that scores the best.

In other business, the commissioners:

* Conducted a public hearing on behalf of the Grant-Fairplay Township Fire Department, which is seeking a state Community Focus Grant to purchase a new fire truck. No residents commented on the purchase. The truck will cost $167,000 and the department/townships will provide $17,000 as the local match for the $150,000 grant. The grant application is being prepared by Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC) and will be submitted by March 13.

* Approved a request from the Greene County Community Corrections to sell a 1995 Ford Taurus. Sealed bids will be opened at the Feb. 3 commissioner's meeting. The vehicle is being sold "as is" with no warranty. Minimum bid is $500.

* Accepted the annual Covered Bridge Certification Report that stipulates there is one covered bridge in the county -- the Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge, located near Bloomfield.

* Approved the renewal of a contract with Pete Franzman Insurance Services of Tell City to provide the county with insurance consulting services for the calendar year 2009.

* Agreed to change the next regular scheduled meeting because of a conflict with the Martin Luther King holiday on Jan. 19. The meeting has been changed to Tuesday, Jan. 20. The 9:30 a.m. public meeting will be conducted in the third floor meeting room at the courthouse in Bloomfield.