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 Present: Andy Anderson; Dave Hepler; Rick Aylesworth; David
Blankenship; Gene Rohlfs; Chuck Ruben
Absent:
Guests: Bret Aukamp; Curt Fox
Meeting called to order at 7:31 pm.
A motion was made by Mr. Rohlfs, seconded by Mr. Ruben, to approve
the minutes from the November 3, 2014 as amended. Motion passed.
The list of claims for payments was reviewed. A motion was made by
Mr. Ruben, seconded by Mr. Aylesworth to approve the list of claims
for payment. Motion passed.
Monthly report on current maintenance and construction:
Mr. Aukamp reported the mowing operations were halted during some
of the cold weather in November. One of the tractors does not have a
cab. The other tractor had issues with the fan motor resulting in no
heat to the cab. That issue has been repaired and we are continuing
to mow along the east side of the County. We are currently in the
Beason area and still have about 40 miles of road to be mowed,
including several large bridge areas.
The crew has started installation of the new signs as part of the
sign installation program. The crew is using telescoping steel posts
with the new signs, and the crew has been determining the best
methods for driving those post anchors.
The new mechanic has been busy in the shop. The new mechanic is
continuing to find a lot of repair work on the older trucks.
Logan County had its first measurable snowfall last week. The
forecast called for ½ inch of accumulation on Wednesday evening with
warmer temperatures on Friday.
On Thanksgiving morning, Logan County had 1 to 1 ½ inches on the
roads which did create some slick spots due to snow pack. Mr. Aukamp
sent out a truck in the afternoon to plow/cinder some of the slick
spots.
Construction Report:
The County Aid project for Corwin Township was completed in
November. Goodman Excavation removed a pipe culvert on 1400th street
and installed a new 54” pipe culvert. The project was completed in 3
days.
Engineering Report:
Mr. Aukamp has spent the last month reviewing examples of road
use agreements from other counties, and developing ideas to be
incorporated into our own road use agreements for wind farms. Mr.
Aukamp also has been working with Kris to complete the construction
paperwork for the Nicholson Road project. November is also the time
of year when we firm up our maintenance plans for the coming year.
With the aggregate letting scheduled each year in December, Mr.
Aukamp puts together his plans for sealcoating roads to determine
the tonnages and types of rock that he will need to purchase.
As a reminder, coming up next week is the fish fry at Mr.Aukamp’s
facility.
Old Business:
Relight Energy’s proposed Meridian Wind Farm project:
Relight Energy had its first hearing with the Zoning Board of
Appeals in November. Another hearing is scheduled this week. Mr.
Aukamp plans to recommend one condition on the Wind Farms. Mr.
Aukamp wants a road use agreement in place before building permits
can be issued. The project is located roughly between Broadwell and
Mt. Pulaski. Three highway commissioners and Mr. Aukamp met with an
attorney last week who specializes in wind farm issues for local
government. They discussed a proposed road use agreement that has
been used in other counties. The agreement could be tailored to meet
Logan County’s situation. The cost of the private legal counsel
would be paid by the Developer, so there would be no out of pocket
expense to the county.
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New Business:
Approval of 5-year Construction Plan, 2015- 2019:
Mr. Aukamp presented the 5-year plan for the committee to review.
Mr. Aukamp plans to meet with IDOT District 6 this week. Each
December, Mr. Aukamp meets with IDOT staff to discuss upcoming
projects that will be funded with our allotment of the federal
transportations funds. Each year, Mr.Aukamp modifies the 5-year plan
to update cost estimates and to include any new projects.
Finance planning spreadsheets and multi-year resurfacing plan:
Mr. Aukamp has developed a 10- year resurfacing plan for the
County Highways. Mr. Aukamp developed various financial planning
spreadsheets to get a better outlook on our fund balances. A motion
was made by Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Rohlfs, to approve the
5-year plan. Motion passed.
Resolution to approve 2015 MFT Maintenance Program, Section
15-00000-00-GM:
Mr. Aukamp reported the estimate for this coming year is
$1,393,318. Logan County has never come close to spending the entire
MFT estimate, but Mr. Aukamp always looks to appropriate enough
money to cover any unforeseen costs. A motion was made by Mr.
Blankenship, seconded by Mr. Ruben, to approve 2015 MFT Maintenance
Program. Motion passed
Resolution to approve 2015 MFT expenditures for payroll
related expenses, Section 1500000-00-RF:
Mr. Aukamp reported the estimate for this coming year is $95,000.
This includes the IMRF, FICA, and insurance for the employees who
are being paid through MFT. When an employee is working on a task
that is MFT eligible, the payroll and the associated expenses can be
paid through MFT. A motion was made by Mr. Ruben, seconded by Mr.
Aylesworth, to approve 2015 MFT expenditures for payroll related
expenses. Motion passed.
Resolution to approve 2015 MFT expenditures for County Engineer
salary:
Mr. Aukamp’s salary is eligible to be paid from MFT funds. In the
past, the County has paid for the salary in different ways. In some
budget years, the County has paid for Mr. Aukamp’s salary from the
County Highway Fund. In other budget years, the County has paid for
Mr.Aukamp’s salary through the MFT either partially or completely.
With the FY 14-15 budget, the County plans to pay 100% of the salary
from MFT. A motion was made by Mr. Blankenship, seconded by Mr.
Aylesworth, to approve 2015 MFT expenditures for County Engineer
salary. Motion passed.
Resolution to award 2015 MFT contract for aggregate Materials to
lowest responsible bidder. Letting scheduled December 10th at
10:a.m. A motion was made by Mr. Aylesworth, seconded by Mr. Rohlfs,
to award the 2015 MFT contract for aggregate Materials to the lowest
responsible bidder. Motion passed.
Quarterly project status report:
Mr. Aukamp presented the quarterly report for the committee to
review.
A motion was made by Mr. Ruben seconded by Mr. Aylesworth, to
adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. Meeting ended at 8:15 pm.
[Copied from Logan County website] |
