Published: October 05, 2007 10:37 am      

Reverse auction saves Clark County $11,000

A trial run of an online reverse-auction process could save Clark County as much as $11,000 on road salt this winter, compared to the best bid received during a traditional bidding process in August.

During Thursday’s County Commissioners meeting, Cory Masters, an agent for Kentucky-based BidBridge, said, “It was a pretty dramatic difference from August.”

In August, Cargill’s low bid for road salt was $49.25 per ton for up to 1,500 tons. Cargill was also the low bidder among four firms during the hour-long online reserve auction on Sept. 27, at $41.90 per ton. North American Salt Co. had the next-lowest bid at $42.12.

“It’s a great idea; it made us $11,000,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. “All it took was a little competition.”

Commissioner Ed Meyer, the board’s president, said the county likely will utilize the reserve-auction service for other bulk products.

“That went real well,” said Meyer of the road salt bids. “That’s a starting point.

“Before we got too far into that process, we wanted to see how it works.”



Work-release center

Clark County’s work-release center could be open Jan. 1, Director Steve Mason told County Commissioners on Thursday.

Five employees — which include two case managers and three security supervisors — will begin work Sunday with training in New Castle.

The commissioners questioned whether the work-release center — which is located on the third floor of the Clark County Jail — is hiring corrections officers away from the jail.

“We’re getting quality, experienced people, but none of them from the jail,” said Mason.

“You’re not having problems hiring people?” asked Commissioner Ralph Guthrie.

“Not so far,” Mason said.

Mason said the work-release center still needs to hire an additional security supervisor, who likely would work a night shift.