Backhoes bought for surveyor

The Jay County Commissioners selected the lowest bid to purchase two backhoes for the Jay County Surveyor’s department.
On the recommendation of surveyor Brad Daniels, the commissioners agreed to purchase two Caterpillar backhoes from MacAllister Machinery Company, Inc., Fort Wayne, at a cost of $92,878 after trade-in of the two backhoes that are being replaced.
Daniels said all the bids were for comparable machinery so the decision “came down to dollars and cents.”
Daniels said he plans to put $50,000 toward the backhoes from the backhoe replacement fund and then finance the remaining balance over two years. He said the backhoe fund has about $105,000 in it, but by financing part of the new purchase he can keep a balance in case other department equipment suddenly breaks.
The surveyor also presented the commissioners with the option to purchase a five-year or 5,000 hour warranty for the backhoes for $2,189 each.
“Two thousand dollars for five years on those is not a bad warranty,” said commissioner Jim Zimmerman.
Doug Sleight, machine sales representative from MacAllister, informed the commissioners that the purchase comes with a one-year warranty and that the extended plan would add four years of service.
“The standard warranty is 12 months, 1,500 hours,” Sleight said.
Sleight explained that after the first six months the county would be responsible for a travel charge for a serviceman to come out but all parts and labor would be covered.
The commissioners asked how long they could wait before making a decision on the extended warranty and Sleight said he thinks it is within four months after delivery.
The commissioners told Daniels to check in around that time to report on the backhoes and they would delay the warranty decision. The board also asked Daniels to shop around to get the best loan rates on the $42,878 by getting a quote from Caterpillar as well as local banks.
The commissioners then unanimously approved the purchase of the new backhoes.
In other business, the commissioners:
•Were informed by Zimmerman that previously discussed plans to work with Jackson Township property owners to replace a broken tile in the area will likely be put on hold until fall.
Landowners approached the commissioners earlier this year about county support to replace more than 4,000 feet of drainage tile in the township.
•Were notified by Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District educator Bettie Jacobs that the district’s annual meeting will be held Feb. 16.
Jacobs also informed the commissioners that JCSWCD received a $6,000 Clean Water Indiana grant to test waterways in the county for e-coli bacteria. Jacobs said that testing will likely be done in June.
•Approved emergency claims for U.S. Bank for the Premier Tax-Increment Financing District of $350,852.59.
The commissioners also approved a claim of $100 to the Jay County Auditor to open a new bank account with First National Bank. The account will be used to hold money for the county’s new partially self-funded insurance program. Jay County Auditor Nancy Culy said $100,000 will be transferred into that account in January.[[In-content Ad]]