County OKs Sunflower Road overlay
Pilsen property purchased for road department
Staff reporter
Marion County made a commitment Monday with an engineering firm to overlay Sunflower Road/South Third Street, Marion.
The commission approved a contract with Kirkham Michael Inc. of Wichita for $15,000 for the initial design of the 10.5-mile stretch of pavement from U.S.-50 to Main Street and up to $45,000 for construction engineering when the project is completed.
Negotiations between Kansas Department of Transportation and the county and City of Marion resulted in the reimbursement of up to $432,000 to the county for the overlay because Sunflower, along with other county roads, were used by motorists when U.S.-77 was closed for construction for 18 months.
KDOT agreed to reimburse the county for road repairs to Sunflower which also included South Third Street within the city limits of Marion.
County public works director Jim Herzet said there was a two-inch overlay on Sunflower Road that was completed in 2000. An additional two-inch overlay will give a total of four inches of asphalt.
Previous cost estimates indicated the project could exceed $1 million.
County clerk Carol Maggard told the commission that seven mills was budgeted for roads from the general fund and two mills from road and bridge from sales tax revenue that will be distributed in the fall. There is $277,882 in road and bridge's capital outlay fund for a total of $1,165,750 plus reimbursement from KDOT for $432,000.
Commissioner Bob Hein said the project needed to be completed and specifications are necessary. Herzet said he was waiting for a response from the city regarding participation in the project.
Commission chairman Randy Dallke said he didn't want the county to pay for all of the millings for the stretch of road.
He continued that a recent meeting in Marion indicated constituents wanted improvements made to the county's portion of Timber Road and the city's Eisenhower Drive, located on the east side of Marion.
Herzet said widening Timber Road directly north of Eisenhower Drive would result in additional rights-of-way which may not be feasible with fiber optic and water lines located along the existing road.
In other department business:
— The commission signed a lease-purchase agreement with Pilsen State Bank for a new loader. Herzet said county attorney Susan Robson had reviewed and approved the document. The new loader will be delivered this week.
— Herzet requested a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel and land acquisition. Dallke extended the executive session to 15 minutes. It was designated the amount of time spent to discuss personnel issues and land acquisition.
The session was extended another five minutes to discuss personnel.
When the meeting resumed, the commission approved the purchase of 2.5 acres on Remington Road in Pilsen with a building formerly used as a machine shop to be used as machine storage for the county. The county will pay $28,000 for the property. Millicent Vinduska is the owner of record.
Funds for the transaction will be from the road and bridge department.
