In preparation for this year’s county blacktop road maintenance effort, the Barton County Commission Wednesday morning approved the 2022 cold mix asphalt bid for the Road and Bridge Department. Venture Corporation provided the only bid at $8.15 per ton, which was accepted.
County Works Director Darren Williams said the department accepted bids until Feb. 7 for the 2022 cold mix asphalt program. The bid specified approximately 25,000 tons of cold mix asphalt material, with the county furnishing all aggregate and asphalt oil.
Using the county specifications, the contractor will be required to mix asphalt at the County pit on South Washington, Great Bend, he said. The county provides the rock aggregate and oil.
“That’s up about 30 cents from last year,” Williams said. “But, everything else is going up. The cost of doing businesses is rising so we’re seeing that little bump in the cost.”
“I think it’s a good idea to have this on the agenda today so we can lock in that price,” said District 5 Commissioner Jennifer Schartz. “I think prices are going to go up.”
A big part of Venture’s cost is the diesel fuel to run their asphalt plant, said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3. It takes about two gallons per ton, which accounts for about $7 of their per-ton cost.
There were two Venture representatives at the meeting. They noted that they would test their mix daily to make sure it had the right oil content and met the county’s specifications.
The test results are reported to Williams who forwards them to County Engineer Barry McManaman.
It is not uncommon for the county to get only one bidder for the mix, Williams said. This has been the case for the past 15 years.
Williams said this mix would be used on about 35 miles of road in the southeast corner of the county.
Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County Commission did Wednesday morning:
• Signed off on the inventory of county property.
Per state statute, each county officer and department head must make an inventory of the personal county property located in their departments. The inventory, taken annually during December, must be filed with the County Clerk on or before Dec. 31.
The inventory excludes books, records, files, stationery, writing materials and blank legal papers.
The information must be presented to the commission each February. A county resolution assigns these duties to the Information Technology Department, said Information Technology Director Dereck Hollingshead.
• Approved the Health Department’s Champ Software – Kansas Nightingale Notes subscription for 2022-2023.
Electronic medical records are the digital equivalent of paper records or charts at a health provider’s office, Health Director Karen Winkelman said. In December, 2017, the commission approved the purchase of Nightingale Notes Electronic Health Records and first year subscription from Champ Software. The department has received a billing of $28,315 from Champ for 2022-2023 which includes 23 named licenses.
• Approved a bid from L&M Contractors Inc. of Great Bend, in the amount of $39,487.50 for a strip seal assembly replacement project to the Arkansas River bridge on SE 60 Avenue (Dartmouth Road).
County Engineer Barry McManaman said the expansion joint in the middle of the bridge is in need of replacement. The Engineer advertised a Request for Proposals on Vendor Registry and three sealed bids were received, with L&M offering the bid best meeting the needs of the county.
The work will start in July, or earlier, and will take one to two weeks to complete, McManaman said. The stretch of road will be closed during that time.
• Approved the 2022 cold mix asphalt bid for the Road and Bridge Department. Venture Corporation provided only bid at $8.15 per ton.
County Works Director Darren Williams said the department accepted bids until Feb. 7 for the 2022 cold mix asphalt program. The bid specified approximately 25,000 tons of cold mix asphalt material, with the county furnishing all aggregate and asphalt oil.
Using the County specifications, the contractor will be required to mix asphalt at the County pit on South Washington, Great Bend.
