Commissioners accept bid for corrugated culverts

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning accepted a bid from a Kearney manufacturer for the corrugated tubes that will replace two bridges in Red Willow and Frontier counties between now and the end of 2019.

During their weekly meeting, commissioners Steve Downer and Earl McNutt (Jacque Riener was not in attendance) authorized the purchase of two 8 1/2x40-foot corrugated metal pipes with welded headwalls for a Red Willow County project on the Beaver Creek northwest of Danbury, and of one 7-foot corrugated metal pipe for a Frontier County project over Mitchell Creek northeast of Stockville.

Ace/Eaton Metals of Kearney submitted bids of $29,454 for the two Red Willow County pipes and $14,309.40 for the Frontier County pipe, for a total bid of $43,763.40.

Contech Engineered Solutions of Lincoln bid $35,516.71 on the two Red Willow County pipes and $25,970.29, for the Frontier County pipe, for a total bid of $61,487.

In January 2018, Red Willow and Frontier counties were granted bridge match funding through Nebraska’s 2016 Transportation Innovation Act. The program rewards counties for “being innovative” by coordinating projects with neighbors in the replacement/repair of bridges deemed “deficient” by the state, and by replacing bridges with culverts.

Red Willow County is the lead county in the interlocal agreement with Frontier County. Red Willow County sought the bids for the pipes, and Frontier County will reimburse Red Willow County for the purchase price of its single pipe. Each county is responsible for its own labor and installation.

The state will reimburse each county 55 percent of its project costs upon completion, which is required by the end of 2019.

Ace/Eaton expects delivery of the pipe within 8-16 weeks, which means they may arrive past ideal construction weather and will need to be installed next spring or summer.

Tyson Bardsley, Red Willow County’s (interim) roads superintendent and bridge inspector, is coordinating the project between Red Willow and Frontier county commissioners.

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Bardsley officially became Red Willow County’s roads superintendent after earning his road superintendent and bridge inspector licenses in May, and after Miller & Associates, his employer, signed an agreement with commissioners Monday morning.

The county will pay Miller & Associates $3,000 for a 12-month contract and $250 a month for Bardsley’s services. Bardsley was appointed to the position after Gary Dicenta resigned in February; Dicenta’s appointment would have expired Dec. 31, 2018.

Bardsley’s responsibilities include developing new roads/bridge projects, handling concerns of property owners and additional concerns regarding roads, drainage and rights-of-way, developing the county’s 1- and 6-year road plans and documenting equipment costs.

Bardsley told McNutt and Downer that Riener is suggesting a drainage study and topography survey on County Road 381 west of McCook. While there are concerns about heavy rain drainage and flow in county road ditches, McNutt said it appears that the state highway department also has drainage problems along Highway 6&34 in the same area.

Downer said he is concerned also with drainage in ditches along the railroad tracks and Old Highway 6 just west of McCook. McNutt said heavy rains have drained from nearly a mile north of this county road, draining off the Walmart parking lot and Heritage Hills golf course.

Bardsley presented changes/corrections to bridge load ratings on four steel bridges: one over the Republican and one over the Driftwood, both built in 1975; and two on the Beaver Creek, each built in 1935.

Bardsley also presented, and commissioners approved, an agreement for permanent ingress/egress onto land owned by Robert Fisher along the Republican River between Indianola and McCook.

In other action:

— Deputy treasurer Crystal Dack presented tax roll corrections. Following a public hearing, commissioners approved a motor vehicle tax exemption application for Community Hospital, which has purchased two new cars and traded in another one.

— Commissioners approved a two-year contract with Pritchard & Abbott of Fort Worth, Texas, to perform the county’s oil appraisals. The previous contract was for $3,850; the new contract is for $4,000. P&A will also charge $950 per day, per person, plus expenses for additional services, such as valuation protests.

— Commissioners reappointed Kenneth Frick to the Veterans Service Board to a term to expire June 30, 2023; and Darin Seligman to the Health Department Board, to a term to expire July 31, 2021.