County highway engineer outlines 2015 road resources
County Engineer Brian Otten shared with the Perry County Board the project costs for the County and Unit Road District for 2014 and the projected amounts for 2015.
The County Highway Department received $25,000 in federal funds to upgrade traffic signs in 2014. A total of 427 signs, posts and hardware were replaced. The Unit Road District received $61,969 in federal funds to replace 830 signs, posts and hardware.
Otten said he still has all of the aluminum and steel signs that were replaced and the wood posts. The steel signs will be recycled. The aluminum signs will be resurfaced then reused. Resurfacing an old sign costs half of what the county would pay for a new sign.
The County Highway Department will receive $345,000 in federal funds to overlay three miles of Shamrock Road in 2015.
In 2014, the county spent $18,000 in Motor Fuel Tax and Local Funds to crack seal two miles of Gas Plant Road and Wells Street and $14,000 to crack seal 1.5 miles of Old Route 14.
The Unit Road District spent $409,000 to oil and chip approximately 42 miles of road and $77,000 on 2,000 tons of BAM all north of Route 154, using MFT and local funds. The final project was $13,000 for 1,600 tons of gravel for various locations all over the Unit Road District.
Otten said the harsh winter last year meant he had to dip into savings to pay for all the gravel work that had to be done.
This year the county will spend a total of $110,000 in MFT and local funds. The planned projects include overlay patching and oil and chip of three miles of Kimmel Road and crack seal 4.5 miles of East Tamaroa Road and three miles of East Park and Pyatt-Cutler Road centerlines.
The planned 2015 Unit Road District MTF and local projects will cost $589,000. They conclude up to 70 miles of oil and chip south Route 154, 2,500 tons of BAM south of Route 154 and 1,350 tons of gravel all over the county.
"I plan for the most, but realistically might not have the funds to do all 70 miles of oil and chip," Otten said. He added, that it depends upon how much is spent elsewhere such as plowing snow and ice this winter.
The Unit Road District will also spend $200,000 on Pecan Road Bridge in 2015.
Last year, the Unit Road District received $77,500 after closing Hibiscus Road. In 2015, changing the crossing gates and lights on Zinnia Road will be cost $350,000 and will be covered by federal, Illinois Commerce Commission and IDOT funds.
Last year, Otten sold $272,000 in surplus equipment, then used $242,000 to purchase a new backhoe, tractor with boom mower and trailer.
In addition, the county spent $2,500 updating a narrow banded radio repeater and some truck radios, as required by law and paid off two pieces of equipment- a ditching machine and a dump truck at total cost of $149,292.
This year, Otten will pay off a boom mower at a cost of $28,000. He plans a brine system upgrade and a 15' mower upgrade, costing $5,000 and $36,000 respectively. The remaining equipment upgrades are safety related. They include a $5,000 exhaust system upgrade, $1,500 fuel system upgrade, $1,500 lubrication system upgrade and $1,500 for Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
"Each year I drive all of the asphalt roads in the county and half of the oil and chip roads, either north or south of Route 154, when planning the coming year's projects," Otten said. "There is always a laundry list of bridge projects."
In other business, the board:
• appointed Commissioner Sam Robb to oversee all current and future worker's compensation claims on behalf of the board. Robb said the goal is to reduce the cost of worker's compensation and to get people back to work as soon as possible, even on modified duty.
• heard from Treasurer Mary Jane Craft that she plans to renew the contract with mail Communication Group of Iowa to print and mail tax bills. The service cost $6,693 last year.
• agreed to renew the contract with Healthlink for medical insurance for two years at a cost of $8 per employee. There is no change in the cost from the current contract which expires April 1.
• renewed an agreement with Souther Illinois Board of Tourism which allows representatives from Du Quoin and Pinckneyville to participate.
• approved a raffle license application for Perry County Jail Museum.