Red Cloud company wins armor coating bid

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County will pay Figgins Construction of Red Cloud $58,071.16 for the labor and equipment used to complete the county's six armor coating projects for 2019.

Figgins Construction of Red Cloud once again was the only bidder for the county's summer AC projects. Commissioners opened Gary Figgins' bid at their weekly meeting Monday morning.

For 32 cents per square yard, for $58,071.16, Figgins will apply the armor coating and pick up the gravel at the gravel pit. The county buys the gravel and the oil needed for each project site.

Figgins charged 30 cents per square yard in 2018.

The six sites are:

No. 1 — From Orscheln's Farm & Home, west and north/south, 2.48 miles, 32,010 square yards, $10,243.20.

No. 2 — One mile near the City of McCook water treatment plant, 13,423 square yards, $4,295.36.

No. 3 — Two miles south of the former District 8 schoolhouse southwest of McCook, 26,718 square yards, $8,549.76.

Site 4 — North of McCook's West Third, 1.9 miles, 24,523 square yards, $7,847.36.

Site 5 — The county's portion of Ravenswood Road, 1.2 miles, 15,488 square yards, $4,956.16.

Site 6 — The Harry Strunk Lake road north from Highway 6&34, 5.37 miles, 69,311 square yards, $22,179.52.

County road crews will grade road shoulders for drainage and perform all patching prior to the contractor's work. The county will buy gravel from Paulsen Inc. at Indianola and MC3000 oil from Asphalt & Fuel Supply Inc. of Tulsa, Okla. Figgins will provide equipment and labor for application.

Construction will be completed under traffic; Figgins will provide flagging and signs.

The projects are estimated to cost $15,333 per mile, compared to $14,772 per mile in 2018. With Figgins' labor and the county's purchase of the gravel and oil, the summer 2019 AC projects are expected to cost about $214,662.

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Pamela Mann of Region II Services, North Platte, and Shirley Alberts of Southwest Arts Training Services, McCook, presented to commissioners their annual report. Mann said Region II, which provides services to people with developmental disabilities, provided services to 175 individuals region-wide through April 1. That number is up from 171 individuals in 2017-18, Mann said.

Region II provides services to 33 individuals in McCook, from age 21 through 79. Services include supported employment, day habilitation, community inclusion, in-home and residential habilitation.

The cost of services to Red Willow County/McCook individuals in 2018-19 (through April 1) is $1,645,728, plus $495,849 for administration, for a total of $2,141,577.

Region II's total revenue for 2018-2019 is $11,484,892. It is funded with state funds, $10,101,315, 87.95%; other state/subcontractors, $454,593, 3.96%; share of cost funds, $81,700, 0.71%; county contributions, $186,603, 1.62%; school districts, $1,800, 0.02%; fees for services, $105,424, 0.92%; board and room, $322,300, 2.81%; sales, $12,000, 0.10%; contracts, $124,680, 1.09%; interest, $2,550, 0.02%; cash/contributions, $500, 0.01%; and other, $91,427, 0.79%.

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In other action:

-- Keith Becker of Kearney introduced himself to commissioners, explaining he is opening a new gravel pit west of McCook.

-- Commissioners agreed to open gravel bids for 2019-2020 at 9:30 a.m., Monday, June 24.-- Commissioners declined to grant a tax exemption for First Baptist/Grace Baptist Church at 1010 E. Sixth because it is no longer being used as a church. The church building is for sale.

Commission chairman Earl McNutt said he wants to remain consistent as commissioners routinely deny tax exemption requests on properties owned by churches but are not used for religious purposes. -- Commissioners appointed Lauren Miller to the Extension Board to replace Andrew Ambriz, through Dec. 31, 2020.