Equipment purchases cheaper than expected

The more than $117,000 in equipment purchases El Campo City Council authorized Tuesday were below the amount budgeted this summer.

In all the city paid about $7,470 less than they thought they would for four pieces of equipment - a Ford F-750 dump truck, two three-quarter ton pickups and mini-excavator - will be used by the public works department.

Bayou City Ford got the $49,855 bid for the dump truck - just a tad below the $50,000 budgeted.

The city received four dump truck bids ranging from $49,677 to $51,829. Council opted to go with staff recommendation not to accept the low bid to allow for earlier delivery and a heavier unit.

The low bid was for an F-650 dump truck.

The bid for the two pickups was awarded to Philpott Motors for $33,976 ($16,988 each) - well below the $40,000 the city had anticipated spending.

"Last year the lowest bid was $16,391 (for one truck)," Public Works Director Brad Ramsey said in his memo on the bids.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council will supply the mini-excavator for $33,699.

The city had budgeted $35,000.

All bids were unanimously accepted.