MEMORANDUM

DATE:      May 5, 2004

TO:            Mike Wildgen

                  City Manager

From:        Alan D. Landis

                  Purchasing Specialist

The City of Lawrence joined Spring Hill, Kansas in Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC’s) cooperative bid for backhoes.  Utility’s backhoe presently in service, Unit 278, has past the end of its life cycle for cost effective operation and qualifies for immediate replacement.  Four vendors bid on the backhoe requested by Lawrence.  The results are as follows:

VENDOR	BID	LESS TRADE	TOTAL BID
Olathe Tractor & Equipment	$  51,800.00	$  10,000.00	$  41,800.00
Murphy Tractor & Equipment	67,670.00	13,000.00	54,670.00
Victor L. Phillips	73,269.00	14,200.00	59,069.00
Martin Tractor	73,000.00	11,000.00	62,000.00

The low bidder Olathe Tractor did not meet specifications. The New Holland LB 75B, bid by Olathe Tractor has an internal extendable boom. The boom configuration must allow for extension when large items are pinched between the boom and bucket. This feature is essential to the equipment needs of the department.  The second low bid from Murphy Tractor does meet the required specifications.

Recommendations:

Approve purchase from Murphy  Tractor & Equipment off the MARC cooperative bid for one (1) backhoe in the amount of $67,670.00 less trade $13,000.00 totaling $54,670.00.  (Utilities/Collection System)

cc:       Dave Corliss                                      Ray Samuel                           Frank Reeb                                        Steve Stewart                                    Roger Coffey                         Bobbie Walthall

Diane Trybom                                    Bob Brower