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 Present: Bob Farmer; Rick Aylesworth; David Blankenship; Gene
Rohlfs; Dave Hepler; Scott Schaffenacker
Absent: Chuck Ruben
Guests: Bret Aukamp; Curt Fox
Mr. Martin called the meeting to order at 7:46pm.
A motion was made by Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Hepler, to
approve the minutes from the December 1, 2014 meeting as printed.
Motion passed.
The list of claims for payments was reviewed. A motion was made by
Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Blankenship to approve the list of
claims for payment. Motion passed.
Monthly report on current maintenance and construction: Mr. Aukamp
reported mowing operations were completed in December. The crew was
able to mow all of the shoulders (to reduce drifting snow) and all
of the bridge areas (to control woody vegetation). Mr. Aukamp
reported crews will continue to install the new signs as part of the
sign upgrade program. The crew has upgraded the signs on about 40
miles of roadway so far, and are currently working east of Atlanta.
The crew has determined the fastest way to drive the telescoping
steel anchor posts is with a modified jack hammer, and Mr. Aukamp is
looking into options for rental/purchase. The mild weather in
December allowed crews to continue installation and repair of
culverts. The backhoe finished some culvert repairs south of Mt.
Pulaski, and has been working in the Atlanta area. There are quite a
few culverts to be repaired on the Waynesville Road, and several
base repair areas to be addressed between Atlanta and Beason.
 Construction Report: There are not active construction projects at
this time.
Engineering Report: Mr. Aukamp reported much of the construction
paperwork for the Nicholson Road project has now been completed. Mr.
Aukamp will continue to work with IDOT as they review the
documentation. These kinds of projects usually take several years
for all of the paperwork to be approved.
Mr. Aukamp is working toward a letting date for the Primm Road
resurfacing project. The job is currently scheduled for a spring
letting, which likely means a summer construction schedule.
Mr. Aukamp finally received an invoice from IDOT for the county’s
share of the microsilica bridge repair project on Nicholson Road.
The job was constructed in 2010 using a combination of stimulus
funds and County funds. Mr. Aukamp will be making out a check for
$322k for the County’s share. Mr. Aukamp has been working with GIS a
lot this past month. Mr. Aukamp received LiDAR data through a joint
grant application with NRCS. The data provides elevations over the
entire county, which enough accuracy to produce 1 foot contours.
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Old Business:
Relight Energy’s proposed Meridian Wind Farm Project: Mr. Aukamp
reported depending on the recommendations, and the subsequent County
Board decision, he would anticipate the road use agreement will soon
become the priority. New Business:
Report of Federal Fund Programing: Mr. Aukamp reported based on
our discussion last month regarding the 5 year plan, Mr. Aukamp
met with IDOT to program our federal funds to construct projects
over the next few years. For many of these projects, we are
using federal funds for the construction and the engineering.
This means less money for actual construction. It also involves
a lot more red tape and planning, but it is a way that we have
shifted our costs so reduce pressure on the local property tax
funds. The anticipated allotments for federal funds are shown on
the map handout. Motor Fuel Tax is expected to remain about the
same, although Mr. Aukamp is hoping for a slight increase since
gas prices have dropped. The federal STR funds are down 17% from
2014. The 2016 anticipated allotment shows a modest again, but
will still be less than 2012, 2013 or 2014. The federal bridge
allotment is down 4% from 2014. The anticipated allotment for
2016 shows a dramatic increase, up 74% from 2015. Unfortunately,
we have several large County Highway bridges that are now
structurally deficient.
Upcoming Bridge Inspections: Mr. Aukamp reported we are required
to provide inspections for all of the drainage structures that
measure 20 feet or more in length. There are over 200 structures
to inspect. Most of these are done every 3 years; while some
need to be inspected every 3 months.
 Upcoming Seasonal Weight Limits: Mr. Aukamp reported beginning
January 20th; the seasonal weight limits will once again take
effect. Mr. Aukamp will be closely evaluating the condition for
the roadway to allow truck traffic whenever possible. But, Mr.
Aukamp’s top priority is to protect the investment in the
roadways by preventing damage during the freeze/thaw season.
A motion was made by Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Hepler, to
adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. Meeting ended at 8:12pm.
[Copied from Logan County website] |
