Each magistrate determining road priority for his district
After appearing before fiscal court a few weeks ago, Pendleton County Emergency Director Michael Moore returned to the court with good news about the early warning system for flooding of Pendleton County.
“I have a letter of commitment from Falmouth and a verbal commitment from the mayor of Butler,” said Moore about the software annual costs being split by the two cities. Each will pay $360 per year for the software updates.
Moore also informed the costs about the extended warranty information they had been seeking. The two new systems to be located in Falmouth and Butler and has a two-year warranty.
“The extended warranty is cost times 18 percent times the number of years that you would want it,” he said.
District 2 Magistrate Josh Plummer determined that the cost of equipment to replace the failed equipment at Butler and Falmouth was approximately $15,500 and the cost to the county for the extended warranty would be about $1,700 per year.
District 1 Magistrate Alan Whaley asked if the warranty covered equipment and/or labor. Moore answered that he felt it would probably only cover equipment.
Whaley followed up and asked Moore how long they had had the previous equipment with no issues. Moore answered, “Many years.”
Judge Executive David Fields advised that they have a two-year warranty and they could deal with issues after that.
District 3 Magistrate Darrin Gregg questioned if there is another source to get this information, to which Plummer replied, “This equipment provides the information to those other apps.”
District 4 Magistrate Rick Mineer confirmed with Moore that this would give the county four working river gauges at McKinneysburg, Falmouth, Catawba and Butler. Moore answered, “Yes.”
The court decided to move forward with them paying for the equipment at a cost of $17,257.65 while Butler and Falmouth pays the annual $360 cost for software.
In other action, the court amended the budget to acknowledge the funding from the ARPA funds from the federal government tallying $1,416,968. The court has not finalized how the funds will be spent although in previous meetings they have talked about providing water to areas of the county and Internet access.
The court opened bids for crushed limestone materials, heavy equipment and hauling services for the county.
Hilltop Stone provided the only bid for crushed limestone materials. All from the Butler location, the bid included: #2 limestone at $12.50 per ton, #57 limestone $15 per ton, #8 and 9m limestone $17 per ton, limesand $8 per ton, DGA limestone $11.60, crushed stone base $17 per ton, channel lining class 2 $20 per ton, channel lining #3 $22.50, cyclopean/quarry run rip rap $35 per ton, washed #8 limestone $19 per ton, quarry waste $7 per tone and #467 limestone $17 per ton.
Fields said that the county mostly bys #57, #8 and DGA.
The court accepted Hilltop’s bid.
Two companies submitted bids for heavy equipment usage and/or services, K & A Excavating and Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh’s bid was extensive with the costs of different types of rock being hauled. The bid did indicate the hauling services cost was $4.50 per ton from Butler to the county barn. The hourly cost is $90.
K&A Excavating broke their heavy equipment bid down as follows: Track hoe $150 per hour, Backhoe $100 per hour, Front end loader 953C $125 per hour, Front end loader 963C $150 per hour, D3 dozer $100 per hour, 850 Case dozer $125 per hour, Caterpillar skid still $95 per hour, Tandem dump truck $85 per hour, Triaxle dump truck $95 per hour with a $200 equipment moving costs.
Mineer put forth the idea that they accept both bids and Gregg made such a motion. The court did accept both.
The court approved the hiring of Kaitlyn Shepherd as part-time dispatcher, Gina Adams to PC Ambulance Board for three years and Steve Foster and Todd Mains to the PC Board of Adjustment for four year terms.
Each of the magistrates indicated they are receiving calls on the mowing of county roads.
Fields said, “I have texted the county road mowers and they are not in the county.”
There was discussion among the court members about taking on the responsibility of handling the mowing.
Fields advised it would take $200,000 to get the equipment to set up the county to be able to do the mowing. In addition, it would take two people to handle the mowing meaning two people off of handling road maintenance and patching potholes and blacktopping.
Each magistrate was given the funds to be used in their districts based upon the number of miles of county roads in their districts.
Whaley in District 1 has $127,548.47; Plummer in District 2 has $174,138.03; Gregg in District 3 has $150,514.52; and Mineer in District 4 has $169,742.24.
Fields presented to the court a bid from Palmer Engineering for $53,500 for designing the bridge on Hogg Ridge Road. The fee would be only for design of a 20’ wide X 70’ long bridge.
“I don’t want to spend more than we have to but want it done right,” said Fields.
Gregg warned when the bridge floods, “People will drive right through it when the water is ankle or waist deep.”
Fields told the court he is disputing a bill from Johnson Control Fire. He explained there was a fire alarm and they charged $600 to drive out here and spend no more than 15 minutes to do nothing.
Mineer questioned what happened in court considering the individuals at the corner of Jenkins Lane and U.S. 27. Fields said they plead not guilty and a trial date was set.
Mineer said they have been fighting this for two years while Fields indicated they are trying to get hold of the landowner.
Plummer told the court he has received messages from some who had visited Kincaid Lake State Park and where happy with some of the things that Sebastian Ernst had done as new park manager.
Fields informed the court that raising the water level at Kincaid Lake is in the hands of the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Court will have caucus meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6.