County Commission buys air conditioner

The Pettis County Commission on Thursday accepted a bid on an air conditioning unit for the Public Safety Building.

The commission, meeting in its second-floor chambers in the Pettis County Courthouse, accepted a bid of $5,456 for a 7.5-ton Lennox unit from Benitz Service Co. on the recommendation of building maintenance head Bret Manuel. Benitz recently won a bid to install environmental controls in the Public Safety Building.

“I think that is really important, that we keep one company involved here instead of two,” Manuel said when recommending the purchase. The cost of the unit is about $250 more than the lowest bid Manual said was acceptable.

The commission on Tuesday received bids from three companies.

AMC Turner Heating and Air Conditioning bid $5,306.75 with a Trane unit; AC Aircomfort Inc. submitted three bids, $5,000 for a Goodman unit, $5,200 for an Armstrong and $5,200 for a Lennox. Benitz submitted two bids, $5,681.60 for a Trane unit and $5,456 for the Lennox unit.

The commission unanimously voted to accept the Manuel’s recommendation. Eastern Commissioner Rod Lindemann, who made the motion to accept the bid, said consistency was a motivating factor in his motion.

“Based on his recommendation, parts were compatible with the controls they’re putting in,” Lindemann said.

Presiding Commissioner Rusty Kahrs said the bids’ close range allowed the commission some leeway to make the decision.

“It’s just better to have one company working in one project,” Kahrs said. “They were close enough together that we can justify the cost to keep it under one contract.”

In anoher matter, the commission opened bids on a new truck engine for the Road and Bridge Department. The commission received two bids for the 8.3-liter, 225- horsepower engine. Tandem Truck Sales, of Oak Grove, submitted a bid for $10,575 after exchanging the old engine core, while Truck Component Services, of Strafford, submitted two bids for $11,176 and $9,881.22, both also after exchange.

The commission also signed off on a refund of fees to an individual in care of the public administrator’s office.