By DAVID COLBURN

News editor

County commissioners delayed the sale of two dump trucks to preserve capacity to address deteriorating gravel roads.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford made the request at a meeting Dec. 22, due to the need for rock all over the county.

“Everyone’s demanding rock right now,” Crawford said.

Commissioner Randy Dallke expressed support for hanging on to the two smaller trucks through March.

“I understand it right now, Randy, we could use the rock being spread everywhere,” Dallke said. “I’m not interested in hiring more people to run them.”

The two small dump trucks have limited utility, Dallke said.

“You use one truck, what do you get, maybe 200 foot of gravel on the ground?” he said. “I just thought they were used for brush cutting, but if they’re not being used in that way, I guess we need to look at not replacing them.”

Crawford can keep using the trucks through March, commissioners decided.

In other business:

• Commissioners held a planning session for a new county office building with Andy Pitts of Treanor Architects, the firm that designed the county jail. Pitts will return in January with a proposal for the overall planning process.
• Commissioner Dan Holub asked if commissioners wished to donate to Marion County food banks. Chairman Roger Fleming and Dallke both expressed concern the expense wasn’t budgeted. They requested more information for consideration at a future meeting.
• Sheriff Robert Craft made an unscheduled appearance on behalf of an employee who was denied meal reimbursement while transporting prisoners because an itemized receipt was not provided. Commissioners said employees were notified of the policy by letter and declined to provide reimbursement.
• A road inspection tour was canceled a second time because of bad road conditions.