Earlier this fall, the Barton County Road and Bridge Department took possession of four new dump trucks, rendering the four older trucks obsolete.

The purchase paved the way for the department to sell those units being replaced. After opening a bid process for local municipalities, the only bid was submitted by the City of Hoisington for two of the four, said Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips. 

Monday morning, the Barton County Commission approved the sale. The city bid $14,250 for a 1992 IHC tandem dump truck and $9,550 for a 1992 IHC tandem dump truck.

The selling price amounts to a good deal for Hoisington, Commissioner Jennifer Schartz said, adding it is nice to be able to help a Barton County community update its fleet. “It’s good for county taxpayers.”

This leaves two used trucks. The 1992 IHC 430P tandem truck with 243,272 miles and a 1992 IHC 435P tandem truck with 275,860 miles will be sold via sealed bid with bids being accepted through the first part of December. 

Money from the sale of the trucks will go towards replacing a truck damaged in an accident, Phillips said. It has yet to be determined if the unit will be considered totalled and need to be replaced.

The status of the damaged truck and possibility of buying a new one concerned Commissioner Alicia Straub. She said there wasn’t the money in the budget to make the purchase, especially in light of the economy.

She asked if one or both of the remaining trucks could be kept as backups should it be necessary. It was noted that the county has the right to reject any and all bids, and opt not to sell.

The trucks were originally slated to be sold at auction. However, it was determined that offering the vehicles to local municipalities first may allow a city or township to improve its fleet at a lower cost. 

So, the commission Monday also overturned the action calling for the auction of the vehicles.