BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Bud Shell Ford of Dexter was the apparent low bidder for the purchase of two new vehicles for the Stoddard County Sheriff's office. The Stoddard County Development Corporation opened sealed bids for the vehicles, safety equipment and lettering Oct. 30 prior to the County Commission meeting.
The corporation received three bids for K8A all-wheel drive Ford Explorers. Three bids were received for safety equipment and one bid was received for the lettering on the vehicle.
Bud Shell Ford bid $28,058 per vehicle, which was the low bid. Harry Blackwell Ford in Malden bid $29,340. 58 per vehicle, while Lou Fusz Ford of Chesterfield, Mo., bid $29,255.
Development Corporation member Greg Mathis asked Sheriff Carl Hefner and Chief Deputy Andy Holden to look over the bids prior to awarding the contract for purchase. Mathis said he wanted to make sure that all three bids were for equally equipped vehicles.
The three bids for installation of safety equipment in the vehicles were from Battles Communications in Dexter, VIP Public Safety of St. Louis, Mo., and Ed Roehr Safety Products Co., of St. Louis, Mo. Battles submitted a total bid of $5,235 for equipping both vehicles. VIP submitted a bid of $4,633.76, while Roehr submitted a total bid of $7,730 for equipping both vehicles. The list of equipment was lengthy for the bids. Included were a partition and cargo barriers for the back seat, bar and grille lights, sirens and other safety features.
Mathis said both Hefner and Holden needed to look closely at the bids to see that they were for the same equipment.
"We want to be comparing apples to apples," commented Mathis.
Hefner obtained copies of the itemized safety equipment and was to get back with the corporation.
The only bid for lettering on the new vehicles came from Christian Memorials and Signs. The bid was for $425.60.
Hefner asked if that was per vehicle or for both. Mathis, who opened the bids, said the bid was for $212.80 per vehicle or a total of $425.60.
The Development Corporation signed paperwork to receive funding from USDA Rural Development for the purchase of two fully equipped vehicles in September. The funding included $57,300 in a low-interest loan and $17,575 in a grant. The term of the loan is five years, with no penalty for early payoff. The scheduled payment is to be $15,138 annually.
The Development Corporation was created to receive the Rural Development funds. The Corporation meeting adjourned prior to the start of the commission meeting.
Commission meeting
Sandra Borders, with the Stoddard County Archives, addressed the Stoddard County Commission about a problem with a microfilm viewing scanner at Archives. She said the equipment was not working, and calls by her to the company had not been returned. She said the company that sold the viewer said it was a software problem, not equipment.