MOUND CITY – Linn County Public Works Director, Shaun West, updated the commissioners on Monday, May 1.
West reported that he had checked with the company that Linn County usually bought their compactor containers from and the cost for a container was $10,150 plus $616 for shipping from Custom Manufacturing, Inc. Local business owner, J.R Kerr had bid $10, 500 to build a container for the county. Commissioner Jim Johnson moved to purchase the container from Kerr and the motion passed unanimously.
The container is needed for switching out with local containers when they are emptied and Kerr will have it completed in 30 to 45 days.
In other public works business, the commissioners:
• Approved a bid for galvanized culverts from Welborn Sales Inc. for $41,676. West said that he had gone out for bids for galvanized and some smaller plastic culverts but was recommending this bid for galvanized.
• Viewed bids for excavators from KC Bobcat for $280,815; Foley Equipment for $298,458 or $286,519; and Murphy Tractor for $231,800 or $245,559, plus a mulcher for $38,732.
West will qualify the bids and bring back a recommendation.
• Approved a contract with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad for $12,000 for preliminary engineering services for the Hell’s Bend Bridge project.
• Learned that West had purchased a tamper to work on bridge approaches for $800.
• Learned from West that he would like to schedule the cities and the lake communities on May 22 to discuss the compactor sites.
• Heard from West that work will begin on the tipping floor at the county landfill and transfer station in June. The floor will be shut down from June 2 through June 12 and commercial haulers have been notified. A notice will be published in the newspaper. This will not interfere with construction debris (CD) landfill, brush or tire disposal.
• Approved boiler repairs for the courthouse boiler from CDL Electric Company for $10,874. The commissioners previously tabled the discussion about this repair because they were waiting to see if a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was going to be installed.
The bid process for the HVAC system has been slow since the county was waiting for information for the Kansas Historical Society for information the bidders needed about screening of the outdoor air conditioner units.
At present, the county is on hold with the State Fire Marshall’s Office because of the condition of the boiler. The fire marshal was allowing the county to wait on replacing the seals until the boiler was not needed for heating.
• Heard from Randy Page, county construction consultant, about repairs and remodeling needed for county buildings. The commissioners agreed to go out for bids on the remodeling of the former judicial building and the former county attorney’s office.
• Agreed to try to sell the jury and gallery seats from the courtroom at the former judicial building.