12/28/12 The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety opened bids for fuel and road materials in their final meeting of the year Wednesday night.
The board opened fuel bids from Bellman Oil and the North Central Co-op for both diesel and gasoline for the coming year.
Bellman offered a price of $3.38 a gallon for diesel and $2.73 a gallon for gasoline. North Central offered $3.36 a gallon for diesel and $2.81 a gallon for regular gasoline. The board took the bids under advisement for Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt to review the bids.
Marquardt told the board that in the past the department has bid for four truckloads of fuel but for this year his department had put out the bid for three truckloads allowing the street department to bring in a truckload at the current market price if it would prove to be advantageous based on the price of fuel at that time.
Marquardt will examine the bids to determine if it is most advantageous to the department to accept a fixed bid or a bid that moves with the market price.
Street material bids were also taken with Stockberger’s and IMI Industries (formerly Rock industries) submitting bids for aggregate stone, fill dirt and sand, and hourly rates for equipment. Marquardt will take those bids under advisement as well.
Local Pastor Jim Irwin, Director of Marshall County Care and Share, came before the board with a special request. The organization helps people throughout Marshall County by paying utility bills when they are in danger of shut off.
Irwin said that other communities in the county allow the charity to “pledge” to pay off utility bills for clients within a certain amount of time but Plymouth city utilities require payment on the 14th of the month at the latest by 9 a.m. on the 15th – and at times it is difficult for the charity to meet that time frame.
Irwin requested that Plymouth allow Care and Share to make a pledge of payment for clients within a reasonable time much as other municipalities have allowed. The Board took the request under advisement to allow City Attorney Sean Surrisi to draft an amendment to city ordinances for the Common Council to consider for the charity.
Staff Report
