Mt. Vernon Register-News

Local

January 19, 2012

Committee recommends ways to save

By RORYE O’CONNOR rorye.oconnor@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County Highway Committee is hoping to save the highway department some money.

The committee recommended to the full board to open a Federal Surplus Account, which allows the department to take its pick from federal and military surplus items from generators to gloves, said Jefferson County Engineer Brandon Simmons.

Simmons said there are tools, equipment and accessories available that may not have ever been used before. He said personnel from the department would probably make a trip to the facility once or twice a year.

The committee also recommended to the full board to lease a 2012 John Deere 7230 tractor for 350 hours from McLean Implement in Albion.

The committee discussed several options, from leasing to buying several different sizes of tractors, primarily either John Deere tractors or the New Holland brand.

Simmons said the highway department’s 2002 John Deere tractor is aging and needs to be replaced within a couple years.

The committee had earlier voted to place newspaper ads notifying the public about two pickup trucks it needed to get rid of. Simmons said the department had received a few calls, but no one was interested in buying either truck.

He said he wished to sell both trucks advertised for scrap, as well as a bucket truck not advertised for liability reasons. He said he could get about $50 to $100 more than scrap price for the two trucks advertised in local newspapers.

He said the trucks are being sold in an effort to raise funds for the purchase of a new pickup truck for the department.

The committee voted to recommend to the full board to sell all three vehicles for scrap.

Simmons told the committee he and employee Stan Drennan have plans to perform the bi-annual county bridge inspection, as Drennan is a certified bridge inspector.

He said by performing the inspection, the county would save $10,000 from hiring its usual firm, Brown and Roberts, to perform the inspection.

County Board member Robert Knutson expressed his concern about the county’s liability in deviating from past practice, should a bridge disaster occur in Jefferson County.

During the necessary and proper portion of the meeting, the Highway Committee recommended to the Fiscal Committee to consolidate three accounts into one.

Jefferson County Highway Department Administrative Assistant Sandy Wellmaker said an auditor said the three accounts — named “Germany Road,” “Green Road,” and “Short Street,” should be combined into one account called “Special Projects,” so the funds could be used.

In other business, the committee:

  • Voted to schedule the annual County Road Tour on Saturday, March 24;
  • Discussed the Log Cabin Lane overlay project, with Simmons saying information will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation by Feb. 10 to allow an April letting on the project, and;
  • Discussed the Malecki Road project, with Simmons saying the project is going to cost significantly less than was estimated. He said the actual cost of the improvements will be about $403,000, while the cost was estimated at $500,000.

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