LEGISLATURE STUFF - Daffodils and Dollars

CATSKILL - Springtime daffodils have been fully blooming which apparently is an inspiration for the Greene County Legislature to authorize the acquisition of multiple, fairly big-ticket items.

Lawmakers, at their regular monthly meeting in mid-April, approved the purchase of a new vehicle for the Department of Social Services.

A 2025 Chrysler Pacifica Select all-wheel drive will be bought from Ferrario Auto Team, based in Elmira, for $42,858.80, utilizing the New York State Office of General Services competitive mini-bid process.

Funding for the new Chrysler was included in the 2025 county budget. The department will surplus an older Ford Escape to another county agency.

Lawmakers, upon the recommendation of the county highway and solid waste superintendent, authorized the purchase of a quartet of 4-wheel drive Ford regular cab F-250 trucks.

The 2025 model rigs will be secured from Schultz Ford Lincoln Inc., based in downstate Nanuet, for $184,796.80, paid upon delivery, with the funds already set aside in the 2025 budget.

There were nine bids, again using the State Office of General Services competitive mini-bid process, ranging from the next lowest, which was roughly $3,000 more than the accepted offer, to a high of $194,000.

Lawmakers, after advertising for offers in the official county newspapers, including the Mountain Eagle, awarded fuel oil bids for the time running from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026.

Two bids were received. The lowest responsible bidder was Bottini Fuel, headquartered in Wappingers Falls who will deliver to several sites.

One site is the county office building, located in Cairo, where the cost per gallon will be $2.545 (including the tank car price of $2.286 and delivery charge of $0.259, the legislative resolution shows.

Fuel oil shall also be trucked to “any other subdivision” within the county with a cost per gallon of $2.555, factoring in the tank car price of $2.286 and delivery fee of $0.269, the legislative resolution shows.

The second bid was whisker close, having the same basic Port of Albany tank car price of $2.286, separated only by a slightly higher delivery fee ($0.350) for a total cost of $2.636, the legislative papers show.

It is forewarned that, “the bid price shall be subject to increase or decrease during the contract period corresponding with the changes in the reseller’s posted tank car price at the Port of Albany as published in the Oil Price Daily (formerly The Journal of Commerce) for the date of delivery.”

Lawmakers authorized the purchase of one new Pipe Jetter for the highway department. A suitable one will be secured from Cyncon Equipment in Dixon, Illinois, at a cost of $82,948.46.

The pipe jetter is needed for the cleaning and maintenance of bridges and culvert pipes. The necessary money is part of the 2025 budget.

Lawmakers also gave the okay for the highway department to obtain four new Reversible Plate Tampers, available from Finke Equipment through Sourcewell Contract #060122-BA.

Finke Equipment, based in Selkirk, will provide the reversible plate tampers at a charge of $9,663 each (a base price $9,034 plus freight, etc.) for a grand total of $38,652, the legislative resolution states.

For those who may not know, plate compactors are, “essential in the realm of construction and landscaping, [serving] to establish a firm foundation and an even terrain,” according to an Horizont Machinery website.

“These devices come in two primary variants: forward plate compactors and reversible plate compactors,” the website states.

“Forward plate compactors are configured to advance linearly, finding their use chiefly in the compression of soil, sand, and gravel. Their operation involves a substantial metallic plate that oscillates swiftly, thus compacting the underlying material,” the website states.

“Reversible plate compactors distinguish themselves with a pivotable plate, enabling operation in both forward and backward directions. This versatility renders them suitable for confined areas or scenarios unsuitable for a forward plate compactor,” the Horizont Machinery website states.

Lawmakers authorized the purchase of one 2025 model, Ford F-250, four-wheel drive, crew cab truck for the county solid waste department.

At the risk of being redundant, funding for the cab truck, totaling 50,039.97, was earmarked within the 2025 county budget.

The lowest responsible bidder was Metro Ford Sales Inc., operating out of Schenectady. The next low offer was $50,313, with bids ranging up to $52,423, the legislative resolution shows.

Lawmakers authorized the purchase and installation of a new snow plow and sander for the Solid Waste Department’s new F-250 truck.

A suitable snow plow ($8,300) and sander ($6,700) were available from Toad’s LLC, in Cairo, for $14,200 (reduced from $15,000 with a nifty municipal discount), the legislative papers show.

Lawmakers okayed a budget amendment for the acquisition and installation of six Xybix Systems Inc. dispatch workstations, two general management and support desks and carpet tiles compatible with the raised floor system for the Emergency Services 911 Center.

One bid was received and accepted from Xybix Systems Inc., in Littleton, Colorado, in the amount of $205,891, the legislative papers show.

The county treasurer is therefore authorized to move $210,000 from Fund Balance “to cover the project in advance of the grant funding projected to be received from New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services,” the legislative papers show.