Winter weather during the past couple of weeks has required emergency call-out and emergency cleanup by Barton County Road and Bridge Department, department Director Dale Phillips said. 

While three truck plows were sidelined due to breakdowns, Road and Bridge used over 400 tons of sand and salt mix during the last week’s ice event, he said. Cost of the storm exceeded $61,000 in total materials, equipment and labor.

As of Jan. 28, the county had applied 711 tons of salt/sand mixture. 

The update was part of County Administrator Richard Boeckman’s bi-weekly departmental update. Other highlights included:

Road and Bridge

• Sign repairs continued and new signs were constructed in the sign shop. Eight signs were repaired due to damage and 32 signs were replaced on the Russell/Barton county line due to age and needed repaired. 

Noxious Weed 

• Winter weather during the week of Jan. 21 required ice and snow removal at county buildings. 

Solid Waste Director Phil Hathcock

In the past reporting period, the Barton Count Landfill took in:

• 784 tons of municipal solid waste

• 94 tons of construction/demolition waste

• 121 tons of special waste

• 472 loads of waste received for disposal

• $38,822.40 of revenue generated through disposal fees

County Treasurer Kevin Wondra

• The Treasurer’s Office processed a total of 800 motor vehicle transactions between Jan. 14 and 27. Of those, 605 were renewals for vehicles and 195 were new titles. That does not include the issuance of disabled placards or lien releases. 

• In the past two weeks, the department also renewed 329 Commercial vehicles. 

• Notices have been mailed to all taxpayers with properties on the tax sale at this time. There are currently 184 properties that, if not paid, will be on the 2016 sale.

• The bookkeepers are in the process of reconciling the bank accounts. All daily work is current.