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 Present: Bob Farmer; David Blankenship; Gene Rohlfs; Chuck Ruben;
David Hepler; Rick Aylesworth
Absent:
Guests: Bret Aukamp; Kurt Fox
Mr. Farmer called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.
A motion was made by Mr. Rohlfs, seconded by Mr. Aylesworth, to
approve the minutes from the October 5, 2015 meeting. Motion passed.
The list of claims for payments was reviewed. A motion was made by
Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Ruben, to approve the list of claims
for payment. Motion passed.
Maintenance: Roadside mowing is progressing well this fall.
The weather has been very cooperative, and the mowing tractors are
nearly halfway completed. The tractors make one pass along the road
shoulders to reduce drifting snow and also mow the bridge areas to
cut back weeds and woody vegetation. The bridge areas are usually
only mowed once a year.
 The backhoe and excavator have made repairs to numerous culverts,
most of which were noted during Mr. Aukamp’s springtime culvert
inspections. The projects usually involve removing sediment that
blocks the culvert ends, or re-setting concrete pipe sections that
have settled over the years. The crew is currently in the Emden and
San Jose area, moving south. Culvert repairs will continue until the
ground freezes.
The crew has done several ditch cleaning projects where there
have been recurring drainage problems. With the dry soil conditions,
those wet areas are easy to spot. The excavator was used in some
places and the grader was used on longer stretches that required
more earthwork.
Construction: The bridge project in Mt. Pulaski Township is
completed. 100th Street is now open to traffic once again. The
riprap project in Atlanta Township on 2200th Street will begin soon.
Rock is being stockpiled near the bridge.
Engineering: With the low-water conditions right now on the
area waterways, Mr. Aukamp was able to do to follow-up bridge
inspections. He did not find any major surprises during the
inspections.
A monthly Motor Fuel Tax allotment has not been received since
July. Mr. Aukamp reported there is still a balance in the MFT
accounts that will be used until the revenue stream can resume, but
most of the MFT balance has been invested in 12-month CDs. It is
likely a penalty for early withdrawal on some of the invested funds
will be necessary; bills will not be able to be paid on time without
accepting the charge.
Mr. Aukamp is currently planning the sealcoat program for 2016.
There is still a plan for a full program next year and should
receive all the previous allotments upon approval of the State
budget. If the impasse continues, next year’s sealcoat plan may be
scaled back. Aggregate letting is scheduled for December.
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Old Business:
High Speed Rail Crossings: Mr. Aukamp is currently in
discussion with Union Pacific regarding detour traffic when the
600th Street crossing is constructed. He is still concerned
about the amount of coal mine traffic that would be detoured
across Elkhart Hill and through the Village of Elkhart. If there
is damage associated with this rail closure, Mr. Aukamp does not
want the taxpayers of the County to be responsible for the cost
of repairs. Repairs to County Highway 6 (Atlanta-Beason):
The repairs to the road between Waynesville Road and Hickory Lane
campground continue. Dirt has been added to the shoulders and
grading the gravel road surface. There is almost enough moisture in
the road to finish grading due to the rainy weather.
Road Conditions and Funding: Nothing to report.
Wind Farm Road Use Agreement: Nothing to report.
Equipment Purchases: Mr. Aukamp attended the bid opening in
Northern Illinois for a 2- year old tandem-axle dump truck. The
final price was $129,000 so he did not buy the truck. There are
currently 5 trucks owned and 6 snowplow routes so Mr. Aukamp is
searching for used trucks through various dealers instead of
ordering a new truck, which would take 4-6 months. This winter may
need to be operated with 5 trucks and a grader. Mr. Aukamp explained
that no major equipment was purchased for the last couple years. He
explained that the revenue received from Motor Fuel Tax Equipment
Rental goes into the committed line items of the Highway Fund
account so a balance should be built up.
New Business:
Approval of 5-year Construction Plan, 2016-2020: Mr. Aukamp
handed out copies of the plan. A motion was made by Mr. Ruben,
seconded by Mr. Aylesworth, to approve the 5 year Construction Plan
16-20. Motion passed.
A motion was made by Mr. Blankenship, seconded by Mr. Aylesworth, to
adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. Meeting ended at 8:09 pm.
[Copied from Logan County website] |
