PLYMOUTH – Plymouth’s Board of Public Works and Safety performed some due diligence in the purchasing of equipment in their regular meeting on Monday night.
The Plymouth Street Department is hoping to purchase a heavy duty 4×2 truck in this year’s budget and opened quotes from three different vendors during the meeting. Warsaw Chrysler quoted the department on a Dodge Ram Series truck with a dealer price of $48,880. After trade in and other allowances the net bid for the vehicle was $39,474.
Country Auto and Oliver Ford each made bids as well, Country Auto with a similar Ram Series truck and Oliver with a Ford F-450 model each with dealer prices of $52,000. After trade in and incentives, Country Auto’s net bid was $40,594 and Oliver came in at $41,399.
Street Department Superintendent Jim Marquardt will take the bids under advisement and make a recommendation to the board at the next meeting in two weeks.
Fire Chief Rodney Miller asked permission to begin the same quote process for an ambulance remount that he had budgeted for in the coming year. Miller also asked for permission to take new firefighters Zach Strbjak and Walt Hanselman off of their probationary period and provide them with full regular pay. Both requests were granted by the board.
Utilities Superintendent Donnie Davidson askedfor permission to seek quotes as well. His department has budgeted for a new dump truck in the coming year.
Plymouth Police Chief Dave Bacon came before the board with a request regarding his budgeted vehicles for the coming year as well. Bacon had budgeted for three vehicles – sedan and utility vehicle in some combination – but asked the board for permission to simply buy two utility vehicles. Bacon explained that the purchase of those two would be easiest to keep him within the amount that was budgeted for the purchase. That request was approved as well.
The agenda had scheduled a discussion about traffic at Lincoln Junior High but the citizen wishing to discuss the matter was not present at the meeting. Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter stated that he would meet with Chief Bacon and Street Superintendent Marquardt to look for a solution to the problem.
