Sunflower Road could cost $1 million
Staff reporter
Resurfacing Sunflower Road will cost more than county officials anticipated and more than Kansas Department of Transportation had allotted.
Because of additional highway traffic using the county road, KDOT had provided more than $400,000 in funds to pay for the resurfacing of Sunflower Road while U.S.-77 was being reconstructed.
An engineer's estimate that was presented to Marion County Commission at the Feb. 28 meeting was $1.2 million for two inches of asphalt on about 10.25 miles of roadway with other roadwork.
Jon Halbgewachs of Kirkham Michael Consultants said price estimates were obtained through a bid letting for a similar project in another county. He considered the estimate to be competitive.
"Contractors are hungry," he said.
Commission chairman Randy Dallke asked county public works director Jim Herzet if Marion City Administrator David Mayfield had been contacted regarding future street improvements. Herzet responded he had not.
It was determined that the City of Marion and KDOT were planning projects that could be a part of the bidding process with the county's Sunflower Road project which could save mobilization costs.
If the county waits until later on to seek bids for the project, fuel and oil prices could be higher, making the project even more expensive.
Dallke said he would talk with the City of Marion and Halbgewachs will contact KDOT.
In other business:
— Welborn Sales of Salina was awarded the bid for bridge materials for two bridges at $101,936. Two other bidders, Salina Steel and Supply and J&J Drainage Products also provided bids but they were determined to be incomplete.
— Cardie Oil Company of Tampa and Cooperative Grain and Supply of Hillsboro shared four bids for area fuel.
Cardie Oil Company had the low bid for 4,750 gallons of diesel at three locations for an average of $2.15 per gallon for a total of $10,215.
Cooperative Grain and Supply was awarded one area fuel bid of $2.15 per gallon for 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel for a total of $3,870.
— Grant money may be available for recycling but the county will have to determine a program. Dallke said he wasn't sure if the commission had time to design and implement a recycling program with other issues to be resolved. The grant application deadline is June 15.
Interim transfer station director Rollin Schmidt informed the commission that the contract with Rolling Meadows Landfill will end in January 2008.
More information will be gathered and presented at a future meeting.
— Sales tax revenue for December was $49,897, slightly higher than revenue in December 2005.
— Two new employees have been hired as 911 system operators — Michele Johnston and Dan D'Albini.
— Maggard informed the commission that Marion County Department for Elderly Director Noreen Weems will officially retire June 1.
— According to consultant Jack Chappelle, water well changes at the former county landfill will be completed by the second week of March.
— It was noted that $11,356 was provided to the ambulance department in 2006 from the county's general fund. The ambulance department had sufficient budget funds but had run out of cash before the year's end. The budget should have been amended and republished which would have enabled the department to use funds.
