A machine purchased by Sunflower Diversified Services with grant money from Barton County is in operation, and the county may be seeing a return on its investment.
Sunflower has begun its glass recycling project using the machine that pulverizes the bottles. County Engineer Clark Rusco told the County Commission Monday morning that he has sent two five-gallon containers of recycled glass samples to Federal Highway Administration  for sampling for use in highway projects.
The FHWA material testing facilities is in Washington, DC., will test the material gradation and also the durability to determine if the recycled glass can be used in bridge abutments and asphalt pavements.
This information was part of County Administrator Richard Boeckman’s biweekly departmental update. Other items included:

Engineering
 • Met with architects from the Wichita firm of PBA to review Kansas Department of Transportation  plan requirements for K-4 tower project.
 • Met with Phil Hathcock, solid waste manager, to begin concrete slab project for the landfill equipment building.
• Preparing sign database for KDOT High Risk Rural Road signage Phase 2 project. Sign placement and quantities will be completed in the next couple of weeks.
• L&M Construction has begun the replacement of historic bridges 6 and 7. Road & Bridge crews began removing the stone structures a week ago.

Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips
Road and Bridge
• Asphalt work continued in the Odin and Dubuque area and north of Claflin.
• Completed paint stripping on 87 miles of highway. Edge lines and center lines were repainted.
• Sign work continued as required. Several signs and barricades were damaged at the work zone near Odin.
• Drainage and bridgework continued daily. Two bridges were removed and construction will begin on new structures.
Noxious Weed Department
• Spraying on County and State right of way for noxious weeds continues.
• Spraying continues for weed control around sign posts and guardrails.
• Staff moved items for the County auction on October 23, 2014.

 Solid Waste Manager Phil Hathcock
• 946.73 tons of Municipal Solid Waste
• 535.25 tons of Construction/Demolition Waste
• 12.88 tons of Special Waste
• 472 loads of waste received for disposal
• $54,008.55 of revenue generated through disposal fees
The Solid Waste Department collected 735.2 pounds of household hazardous waste on Oct. 25. There will be no more household hazardous waste collections until April, 2015.
Anyone with questions regarding recycling, household hazardous waste, or regular household waste can call the Landfill at 620-793-1898.

Public Health Director Shelly Schneider
• Teleconferences – every Thursday with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in regard to Ebola. County stakeholders may attend.
Clinic services:
• Sept. 1 – Oct. 15, flu shots
2014 – 877 total flu shots   
2013 – 759 total flu shots