Loogootee looking to buy new street sweeper

Local News

Discussion

May 12, 2009

By Tim Pinkham, T-H Correspondent The Washington Times-Herald Tue May 12, 2009, 09:00 PM EDT

LOOGOOTEE — The Loogootee City Council took the first step Monday night to buy a new street sweeper.

Due to the cost of repairing the city’s 21-year-old sweeper, which broke down earlier this year and has not been used since, the council has been considering buying a new one.

The council is considering purchasing a sweeper by means of a reverse auction on the Internet. Unlike E-bay and other similar sites, in a reverse auction the low bid wins.

Bill Goffinet, a past four-term mayor of Tell City, was at the meeting to explain how a reverse auction works and to answer questions. He now works for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.

“This is one way of trying to get the best possible deal on equipment for the cities,” Goffinet said.

At the June 8 meeting, the council is expected to pass a resolution allowing the city to make purchases by means of a reverse auction. In the meantime, the specifications for a street sweeper will be sent electronically to interested dealers throughout Indiana and possibly adjourning states.

Goffinet said the council will set the time for the reverse auction, which must be done during a public meeting, and usually ends within an hour. The council would use a laptop computer, which would display all bids. However, each competing business would only see its bid on its computer, as well as the placement of the bid, such as highest, second, third, etc.

Once the bidding deadline has ended, Goffinet said the council would have the same options it would have if the bids had been submitted in sealed envelopes. The council could accept the low bid, reject the bid or take it under advisement for further consideration.

“I know we need the street sweeper, but our finances are not good,” said Councilwoman Susan Brewer. She fears Loogootee will receive even less tax revenue in 2010, due to the property tax caps enacted last year. “I just cannot see spending the last penny.”

Mayor Don Bowling said he did not believe Martin County and Loogootee would be severely hurt by the tax cap, because the county’s property tax rate was not high before the property tax caps were instituted. He said only $1,000 was lost this year and he believes the revenue drop will be less than $20,000 next year.

Bowling said the city had been awarded $70,000 from the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority to pay for clean up of the former Gospel House property. The building partially collapsed in late December 2008 and was demolished for safety reasons.

The council had earlier agreed to pay $1,150 to Maven Construction, Odon, for an inspector to test the rubble of the building for asbestos or other hazardous materials. Bowling said the inspection should take one week.

If no hazardous material is found, the city will have the rubble loaded onto trucks and taken to the industrial park.

Bowling said the property, which has unpaid taxes, has already been through a county tax sale once, but no one wanted to buy it.

The mayor expects the county will purchase the property, waive the property taxes owned, and turn over the property to the city. At that point the clean up can begin.

In other business

Advisory Plan Commission

The council established the Loogootee Advisory Plan Commission. This is a step required by state law before the city can adopt a comprehensive land use plan. The three members appointed by the council were Councilmen Rick Norris and Rich Taylor and Utilities Manager Bo Wilson. Bowling said he would make his four appointments later, but two must be Democrats and two Republicans.

Text Only

Local News

ND commencement is Friday evening
North Daviess High School will hold it commencement exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.
Following the processional led by North Daviess faculty and juniors Janice Knepp and Cari Jo Wilson, the voluntary invocation will be led by Chelsea Graber. Stacey Beard, class president, will then make welcoming and introductory remarks.

May 24, 2012
Fire destroys home in minutes
A Tuesday afternoon fire in rural Daviess County has left a family homeless, although unharmed.

May 23, 2012 1 Photo
Barr-Reeve holds 47th commencement Saturday
Barr-Reeve High School will hold its 47th Commencement Exercises on Saturday afternoon in the high school gymnasium beginning at 2 p.m. Again this year, the graduation will be an afternoon affair.

May 23, 2012
Loogootee to hold graduation Friday
Loogootee Junior/Senior High School Class of 2012 will hold its graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.

May 22, 2012
ND finds ways to use cell phones
A lengthy discussion between North Daviess school board and administrative members concerning future student cell phone usage dominated the board’s Monday meeting.
Board members were considering a second reading for the school’s junior and senior high school handbooks when the discussion began.

May 22, 2012
Relay for Life kicks off
The 2012 Relay for Life kicked off at the Lena Dunn Elementary School track on Friday. The event started (above) with the survivor lap with the other participants lining the track to cheer them on. The relay continues through today at the track.

May 19, 2012 1 Photo
WHS DECA shows off national award
Washington High School DECA advisor Bill Turner had show-and-tell at the Washington Community Schools Board meeting Thursday night.

May 18, 2012
Brashear, Bush make history at DECA conference
Connor Brashear and Austin Bush became the first students from Washington DECA to place first at the international career development conference.

May 18, 2012 1 Photo
NSWC Crane to host charity bike event Saturday
Bike enthusiasts will use pedal power to raise funds for injured military personnel Saturday on the 100-square-mile Naval Support Activity Crane facility.

May 17, 2012 1 Photo
Shoals to hold commencement Saturday
Shoals Junior/Senior High School will hold its commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday in the high school gymnasium.

May 17, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Loogootee looking to buy new street sweeper

Should students who fail IREAD-3 (twice) advance to 4th grade?

Site Map

Contact Us