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County considers road project cost reductions

Staff reporter

An increase in the cost of road construction had Marion County Commission considering other options Thursday after receiving three bids for an overlay project that were considerably more than anticipated.

The construction project is a two-inch overlay on Old Mill Road south of Peabody and 190th Road.

Prior to opening the bids, the county's consulting engineer Mike Olsen of Kirkham Michael Consulting Engineers, said bidders had expressed concern about being able to obtain materials for the project.

The original start date of Oct. 3 may be two or three weeks later due to the problem of locating materials, Olson said. However, the winning contractor would be charged $1,000 per working day for a late start date.

Olson also reported inclement weather at the end of the year could delay completion of the project. Work would discontinue until spring.

The bids were as follows: Shilling Construction, Inc. of Manhattan, $1,579,673; Venture Corporation, Great Bend, $1,584,767; and Koss Construction Company, Topeka, $1,958,810.

The engineer's estimate was $1,398,000.

An alternate to resurface Pawnee Road also was bid at $97,331, $88,844, and $111,536 respectively by the three companies. The engineer's estimate was $80,000. Permanent road striping was not included in the price estimate or bid documents. It was doubtful Pawnee Road would be included in this project.

Sufficient funds are available for a $1,375,000 project.

Olson said since the bids were higher than estimated, the county may need to re-evaluate the project. He suggested keeping a two-inch overlay on Old Mill Road but decrease the thickness on 190th.

Olson exited the commission meeting and returned an hour later with suggestions.

The commission had 10 working days to accept the low bid, or reject all bids and wait until spring to bid the project. Olson suggested the commission not wait until spring, but reduce the thickness by one-quarter of an inch on 190th.

Olson will contact the low bidder, Shilling Construction, Inc., regarding the change in the project. He was hopeful the company still would be willing to honor the bid and complete the project.

In other business:

— The commission approved a slightly higher fuel bid from Cooperative Grain & Supply of Hillsboro because the lower bid could not be guaranteed for more than 24 hours after the bid was submitted.

The total bid from Cooperative Grain & Supply was $14,866 for 6,550 gallons of off-road diesel at an average price of $2.32 per gallon.

Cardie Oil Company of Tampa submitted a bid of $14,840 at an average price of $2.27 per gallon.

Road and bridge superintendent Jim Herzet said he was concerned about the price guarantee because the fuel would be ordered and delivered as needed.

— The commission approved $869,102 in payroll and vouchers for the month of August. Part of the higher than usual amount was $83,000 for road sealing oil, and $100,000 for landfill closure.

— Sales tax revenue for the month of June was "very good," said county clerk Carol Maggard.

June revenue was $51,796, that was collected in July and distributed in August. It was a slight increase from 2004 when $48,087 was collected, and 2003 when $36,476 was collected for the month of June.

— County appraiser office employee Norma Kline requested and received a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.

— County attorney Susan Robson requested and received a 10-minute executive session for attorney-client privilege. Maggard also remained. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.

— Commission chairman Bob Hein requested and received a 10-minute executive session for personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.

— A road crossing was approved for Moundridge Telephone.

— Herzet asked the commission if it was ready to make a decision regarding the purchase or lease/purchase of two dump trucks.

Commissioner Randy Dallke asked if FEMA funds were available in the road and bridge budget for truck purchases.

Maggard said cash and budget funds were available in the 2005 or 2006 budget.

Herzet reported since the time he obtained price quotes for the trucks, a $2,000 per vehicle rebate was available. The commission instructed Herzet to request a new bid from the company with the rebate.

A previous bid was $186,290 for two trucks, or $49,000 per year for four years for a lease/purchase arrangement.

— Dallke received a letter from a Florence resident regarding 140th Road near Florence. The resident was concerned about the current condition of the road and the condition during winter. Herzet agreed that it was a concern of his and patch work had been completed on both the rock and hard surface portions.

Dallke asked for resolution with Kansas Department of Transportation regarding a settlement for repair and replacement of county roads as a result of U.S.-77 being closed for construction.

Olson said he had talked with local, district, and operations supervisors.

"KDOT thinks the offer is fair," said Olson. He suggested a meeting between KDOT and the commission.

The next commission meeting is 9 a.m. Monday. There was no meeting this past week because of the Labor Day holiday.

NHS is looking

for projects

National Honor Society of Marion High School is organizing a community service day for Sept. 22.

Businesses and senior citizens may request assistance from the organization.

Groups of students will be supervised by adults but the workers need information about the requested tasks, and equipment and supplies to complete tasks.

Contact Diana Costello by Sept. 14, at (620) 382-2168 between 3:30 and 4 p.m.

Camp Wood

to host 'grand camp'

Camp Wood YMCA will host "Grand Camp" Sept. 16-18.

The weekend is for grandparents of all ages to bring grandchildren for a weekend of fun, adventure, and relaxation.

Activities include hiking, games, campfires, climbing tower, crafts, and much more.

For more information call 620-273-8641.

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