Mound City bridge not on society's historical registry

The old military bridge on the north side of Mound City was never registered with the Kansas State Historical Society, the Linn County Commission learned on Monday. That will likely change the design on the bridge that will replace it. (Photo by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – On Monday, June 1, the Linn County commissioners heard a financial report through April 30 for the Linn County Park from Sheri Loveland, park manager, and public work updates from Public Works Director Jesse Walton.

Walton updated the commissioners on the old military bridge replacement project. He told the commissioners that the Kansas State Historical Society said that they had no record of the bridge being registered as a historical site, so they have approved the replacement of the bridge.

Walton reminded the commissioners that the costs that the county is responsible for in this project are the preliminary engineering, which has already been paid, and the upcoming costs of acquiring right of way and moving utilities.

He said that there are three power poles that need to be moved and a little bit of land that needs to be purchased. The land purchase is due to shaping the creek and building the base for the bridge and making sure there is enough room all the way around the new bridge.

Walton then told them about the geotechnical engineering service that needs to be done for the bedrock under that bridge. For this service, CFS Engineers has proposed a lump sum fee of $15,950. Walton said this is where they will bore down into the ground to check for the substructure for the bridge. They will take care of getting all the dig-safe notifications.

Walton said that if Linn County was going to move forward with this bridge and get it done, that this engineering process would need to be approved so that could be done.

Commissioner Jim Johnson asked Walton if the complete costs of moving poles and things are before they continue with the geotechnical survey.

Walton will check on the costs of moving power poles before approving the geotechnical survey.

Loveland said that, as usual, the park should  be out of the hole after May. At present, the receipts through April are $79,002.07 and the expenditures are $91,054.78 for a deficit of

$12,052.71. Broken down by category, they are:

Receipts

Marina Sales $  2,192.32

Marina Food Sales   1,879.85

Cabin Rental 10,900.00

Boat Slip Fees.     120.00

KDWP Fees       17.00

Airbnb     288.90

Permit and User Fees $ 63,604.00

Income Total $ 79,002.07

Expenditures

Personnel Services $ 43,189.94

Contractual 39,363.10

Commodities   6,344.44

Capital Outlay   2,157.30

Expense Totals $ 91,054.78

Loveland’s report notates that $11,124.3 is paid out of the park contractual to KCAMP, the insurance provider that Linn County uses.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Heard Walton add a public announcement that Linn County is hiring equipment operators. He said they were looking for good, qualified equipment operators to come be dump truck drivers and motor grader operators. He said that people interested in applying, could apply at the clerk’s office. Those interested can also get the applications online at https://www.linncountyks.gov/238/Employment-Opportunities. He added that Linn County was also hiring seasonal mowers and that wage starts at $15 an hour.

• Approved $35,046.73 to rebuild the drive motor on the track loader at the landfill. There will be a one year warranty on it.

• Approved a bill from Pfefferkorn Engineering for $31,000 for the preliminary engineering of the north half of the 1095 High Risk Road Project. This is the remainder of a $62,000 bill.

• Accepted the payout from the insurance company for the total payout on a park truck for $7,858. The truck had a tree fall on it and it was determined to be a total loss by KCAMP, the county’s insurance provider.