Staff writer
With road work season fast approaching, county commission took time Monday to sort through the puzzle of what oil treatments would work best on county roads.
Interim Road and Bridge director Jesse Hamm brought Ergon Inc. representative Larry Reddick in to inform the discussion.
“We’ve been talking a lot about oils, and I just kind of wanted him to explain the oils to us,” Hamm said. “That way, we all know what is what and what I’m going to be using.”
Chairman Randy Dallke opened the conversation asking what the department had used in the past and what the cost was.
“And what the difference is between them,” Commissioner Dan Holub added. “What’s your pros and cons of each price and everything,”
Reddick said that the department had two options: emulsified asphalt from El Dorado or cut black asphalt out of Dodge City.
“Surely the mulch is going to be cheaper,” Reddick said. “If you’re just doing a chip seal on top of asphalt, the mulch is the way to go. If you have an accurate base and you’re just doing chip seal, you want to shoot a prime coat down.”
Commissioner Lori Lalouette added that while she researched pros and cons of different oils, one was on her mind.
“I did a bunch of reading about oils this weekend,” Lalouette said. “A lot of the pros and cons have to do with the environment.”
Reddick said that while he is excited to work with the department and commissioners, he couldn’t make the decision for them.
“You guys gotta figure out which product works best for you and what the volume is,” Reddick said. “I’d love to quote you guys and be a part of that.”
Dallke thanked Reddick for coming in and explaining the pros and cons of different oils.
“I think that’s what we’re all here about to sort of try to get a path get it down, get to going, so we know what everybody else is doing,” Dallke said. “I appreciate you coming up to give us a little bit of knowledge.”
In other business:
- Family medical leave for a county employee was approved in executive session by commissioners.
- Planning/zoning and environmental health consultant David Yearout visited with commissioners about filling the director position for the department. At least four interviews have been conducted so far, according to county clerk Tina Spencer.