Improvements to a shop building at the Barton County Landfill costing $54,677 won’t come from tax dollars, County Administrator Phil Hathcock told the county commission Monday. Landfill expenses come from user fees, he reminded commissioners. Hathcock is the director of the county’s Solid Waste Department as well as the county administrator.
The commission approved the bid from Steel Builders Construction of Great Bend for improvements to the north maintenance shop at the landfill.
“When it was originally built is was just an open building with a gravel floor,” Hathcock said. It had seven bays. About five years ago the commission authorized Hathcock to have two bays enclosed. Monday’s action will allow two more bays to be enclosed.
The Solid Waste Department released the request for proposals with the deadline being March 12. The scope of the project includes the installation of an interior wall, overhead doors and operators, exterior walk door and an 8-inch concrete floor that can stand up to heavy equipment. There is already a lift in the earlier enclosure but the department won’t need another lift, Hathcock said.
Even though the shop belongs to the solid waste department it is used for maintenance on other county vehicles. For example, Sheriff Brian Bellendir said his department buys motor oil in bulk and the vehicles get their oil changes done there.
Asphalt mix approved
In other business, the commission approved the Road and Bridge Department’s 2021 cold-mix asphalt bid from Venture Corporation. Venture provided the only bid at $7.85 per ton, a 6-cent/ton decrease from 2020.
County Works Director Darren Williams said 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 in Great Bend.
“They will mix it all at once starting around May 2, depending on the weather,” Williams said.
Total cost to the county comes to approximately $55-58 per ton. Funds were included in the 2021 Budget for this anticipated expense.
