Dozer lease is OK’d

After weeks of back-and-forth discussion — sometimes heated — it appears the Acadia Parish Police Jury will consider the five-year lease of a bulldozer for the sanitary landfill.

Two members of the jury’s Solid Waste Committee met in special session Friday to review three bids for the heavy equipment.

The jury had re-bid the equipment earlier this month due to perceived discrepancies in the specifications. Before they were re-released to potential bidders, the “specs” were revisited and tweaked so that “everyone was bidding on the same thing,” according to Richard “Dickie” Latiolais, secretary-treasurer.

The low bid of $6,540 per month for 60 months was submitted by Doggett Machinery Services of Baton Rouge.

“At the end of 60 months you just turn it back in to John Deere,” explained John Dickinson sales rep for Doggett.

The bids ranged from the low submitted by Dogget to a high of $7,860 per month.

In what appears to be an attempt to address complaints of poor maintenance voiced by some members of the jury at the Jan. 14 meeting, the new specs include site inspections by the dealer at six-month intervals with written reports on the condition of the unit submitted to the committee.

Doggett went a step further in assuring that customer service mechanics will inspect the unit every three and six months free of charge and will fill out a 101-point inspection sheet with recommendations.

Both A.J. “Fatty” Broussard and Borill were in favor of forwarding the recommendation to the full jury when it meets on Feb. 11. A.J. “Jay” Credeur was absent.

Regular committee meetings will be Tuesday.