Roads Department plans ahead and Treasurer deputies appointed

MT. PLEASANT — At Henry County Supervisor’s regularly scheduled meeting, Tuesday morning, the representatives approved the roads department’s 28E Agreement, a contract with Calhoun-Burns for the 235th Street Bridge and the Treasurer Deputy appointments.

In agreement with six other counties, the Board of Supervisors approved the motion to purchase a road widener.

According to county engineer Jake Hotchkiss, each county will contribute to the total cost of $246,518 and will list the machine on each county’s insurance.

Washington County will store the road widener.

“Right now, what we’re looking at is September 2023 delivery being the earliest,” Hotchkiss said.

In pursuit of the federal RAISE Grant, Hotchkiss also petitioned the supervisors’ approval to enter into a contract with Calhoun-Burns and Associates for design and preliminary plans of the bridge on 235th Street East of Franklin Avenue.

“This is to try to build shelf plans,” Hotchkiss said. “We’re going after that grant so, we’re going to go ahead and start some of that process.”

According to Hotchkiss, these federal aid project grants require a significant amount of environmental and historical preliminary work.

“Those things take time,” he said. “When we do any kind of bridge project or any kind of federal dollars that is what takes a majority of the time.”

“We are going to start the process of getting preliminary plans together so we know what the structure will look like and how it will fit in,” Hotchkiss explained. “Then if this does go through we’re already on task to get ready to go.”

“We are hiring [Calhoun-Burns and Associates] for preliminary plans,” he said. “The work they would do now, just says, ‘this project’s ready to go.’ It just means we could move faster if money is available.”

“If we don’t get the money then it can just sit there until we are ready to program it,” Hotchkiss said.

According to Hotchkiss, the trends in federal aid are an encouragement for him to accomplish even more preplanning.

“We will look to have more of these projects ready to go,” he said. “Spending some money up front to have the preliminary plans ready so they’re just waiting when funding becomes available on our bigger projects.”

According to Hotchkiss the threshold for these preliminary plans for the 235th Street Bridge is $40,000.

In addition to moving ahead with road’s plans, the board voted to approve three Treasurer Deputies for the New Year.

As the newest chair for the Board of Supervisors, Chad White read the appointment for Sue Ford, Sheryl Elmore, and Nancy Watson as Deputy Treasurers from Jan. 3, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2026.

The Board of Supervisors will meet again Thursday, Jan. 5 at 9 a.m. for the monthly department head meeting, and to approve resolution #1-2023 Master Matrix Construction Evaluation.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com