Staff writer
Dave Griffith with Van Keppel Company talked to Marion County Commission about purchasing a road recycling machine that the county is currently leasing.
The quoted price Griffith offered was $202,642 for the 2008 machine. Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford said he had looked at machines from Caterpillar, the cheapest of which was listed at $350,000.
He added that the county could save nearly $100 an hour the machine is used by purchasing the recycler instead of leasing it for $12,000 a month.
The county has put 855 hours onto the 2008 recycler. The county has one other recycling machine, a 1985 model. Crawford said that machine is one repair away from not making money back on a sale.
Crawford agreed with Griffith that the machines are necessary for asphalt road maintenance. The first project they pointed to was Remington Road. Commissioner Randy Dallke brought up Old Mill Road, which has seen heavy truck traffic coming from Florence. He estimated the asphalt road will need work within two years.
Without commissioner Roger Fleming, a decision was tabled until next Monday.
In other business:
- Salary changes were approved for three Road and Bridge Department employees. Paul Webb went from $2,021 a month to $2,061. Kerry Maag went from $2,100 a month to $2,181. Adam Maag went from $10 an hour to $1,981 a month.
- A fuel bid from Cooperative Grain and Supply for 5,500 gallons of diesel fuel and 2,500 gallons of unleaded gas for $28,650 was approved. Cardie Oil also bid on the fuel at $29,030.
- The commission approved $3,658 in write-offs from ambulance transports dating from Sept. 21, 2008, to July 16, 2012.
- The commission signed a letter sent to Union Pacific Railroad requesting $100,000 for the right to close 180th Road near Aulne. The railroad has already agreed to pay the county $150,000 to close 150th Road.
- The county received a second application for Rural Opportunity Zone student loan forgiveness for Autumn Reece.
- No action was taken after a 10-minute executive session for land acquisition.