County engineer announces plans to resurface four roads

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

With road construction done for the season and winter snow removal not yet begun, the Henry County Secondary Roads Department is currently making more money than it is spending.

?This is the time of year we actually make some money,? County Engineer Bill Belzer commented during his weekly update to the board of supervisors on Tuesday morning.

Over the past couple of weeks, Belzer and that the road crews have spent some time graveling roads, cleaning up ditches and blading roads in order to prepare the county roads for the winter.

Belzer has also been planning for future road construction projects and mentioned plans to resurface four different roads: Iowa Avenue north of Mt. Pleasant, Old Highway 34 west of Mt. Pleasant and west of New London and Franklin Avenue by Salem.

Belzer explained that he has been talking with the City of Mt. Pleasant concerning the Iowa Avenue project. If the City wants to take part in the project, the resurfacing would begin at Winfield Avenue and continue north to Highway 218.

If the city chooses no to resurface their portion of the road at this time, the resurfacing would begin at the overpass and continue north to Highway 218.

The resurfacing project down by Salem involves approximately two miles of road and will involve some curbing and gutter work in town.

Belzer also noted that the portion of the road in front of the cemetery will probably need to be completely torn out and replaced with eight inches of asphalt.

Belzer also briefly mentioned that there are six or seven bridges included in his five-year plan.

In other business, the board of supervisors authorized County Auditor Shelly Barber to add a full-time employee to her staff.

?I?ve decided that I do need someone, but I need them full time,? said Barber.

Barber explained that previously there had always been five people in the auditor?s office until the previous auditor, Hettie Maschmann, took office in 2005. Maschmann never replaced herself, so there have been four people in the auditor?s office since then.

However, during this time Derek Wellington has taken on additional responsibilities. He mostly works as the county?s IT (Internet technology) person now, taking care of all of the computers and the county?s network. He also heads the safety committee, handles the 911 dispatch equipment and works with the various building upgrades, such as the recent roof replacement.

With these other demands on Wellington?s time, the workload has been stretched thin in the auditor?s office, leaving little time for Barber to train the other workers on some tasks such as doing the budget.

?I will still do budgets and stuff, but I would like at least one other to know how,? said Barber. ?Right now if something would happen to me, you?d be in a world of hurt. They could get it done, but it would be tough.?

She noted that currently if she tries to train somebody, another employee has to take on their work as well as their own. Having an additional employee would help divide the work more so training would not be so disruptive.

Wellington will still be Barber?s employee and will be able to assist with real estate as needed and during election time.