New bridge for rancher is 'no go'
Staff reporter
A new bridge on Clover Road may be out of the question.
Interim Marion County Public Works Director John Summerville reported to the commission Jan. 22, that engineer Milton Lowmaster of Cook, Flat & Strobel, had viewed the bridge in question and determined it was safe.
Jim, Tim, and Andrew Donahue had asked the commission to consider a new bridge because it no longer was large enough to accommodate the family's cattle operation.
The engineer had determined that the bridge could not be widened without constructing a new bridge with an approximate cost of $300,000.
Summerville suggested that moving cattle catch pens would eliminate the need for cattle trucks to cross the bridge. The commission instructed Summerville to contact Donahue regarding the findings.
In other business:
— Members of the road and bridge department met with the commission to discuss a five-year plan. Those present were Summerville, Dennis Maggard, Tom Holub, and Gary Williams.
Summerville told the commission that he didn't have a five-year plan but was concentrating on 2008 only.
A total of 25 miles of roads could be overlaid with chip and seal for a proposed cost of $11,600 per mile. Blade patching also is planned at seven locations, approximately 17 miles of roadways needed to be rebuilt at an approximate cost of $12,000 per mile, and two bridges needed to be installed.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked that the bridges be considered for replacement based on the necessity to replace because of traffic, etc., and not just because of condition.
— A computer was approved for Summerville. Two bids were provided for $1,548 and $1,541. The commission approved the bid from Great Plains Computers and Networking for $1,548 because it was a local company.
— Cardie Oil Company was low bidder on transport fuel bids for a total of $22,019 for 5,500 gallons of diesel and 2,500 gallons of unleaded fuel.
Cooperative Grain and Supply of Hillsboro provided a bid of $22,308 for the same gallons of fuel.
— LaVern Stika again has requested to purchase land on the north side of the Pilsen shop. Dallke said he was concerned about selling any footage around the building.
The commission asked that Stika present a plan in the future.
