[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6427448,"mediaKeyId","5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74","parentId",5900727,"title","Linn County approves engineering contract to pursue $2 million KDOT bridge grant","audioSeconds",1466,"startMs",2054000,"endMs",3520000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74&start=2054&end=3520","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74/thumbnail_2054000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6427448/Linn-County/Kansas/Linn-County-approves-engineering-contract-to-pursue-2-million-KDOT-bridge-grant","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427448-b986220efa0d2f13cf3324ae075fb116/orig.mp4?Expires=1771006097&Signature=ct2iDvxc-i7lRr1KrtSFzNzFxzRMJzp0CCYSJr~NBa1MNttswDWG17WTjKPwRfFH~2gV~N6~sLZ3pkYYkjuA-Q5SfDdiicN0h1belIbDyjI-FptDwrWLDER04YxEoQmTmxx64Xcd2upLcMWWViWSA3y3YYs0ETnv6Q4ZM-CChVjyXFnQz0fy5zWEAzIAlFLYkx9vYFAS9bJKVxdexrtZNlHvsrPRhNd6uV1s0lk0IM-7H1YNuKewZYA~10RBydg1lr5FPaaWHGWbWQOmDFtN288xEr0TRBb-mNWt5ANLKTc4Q5e7hCJWeiirwl8SEdg03~Coe4hnjugsnqeci6HNew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Linn County Kansas","date","2025-10-06T16:13:33Z","article","Linn County commissioners voted to authorize a professional services contract with Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers and to accept a $2 million grant offer from the Kansas Department of Transportation to replace the bridge on East 850 Road over Little Sugar Creek.

The vote followed a presentation by Kenny Blair, a project engineer with Cook, Flatt & Strobel, who described options for complying with historic‑preservation review and for reducing construction impacts. \"I would say we would propose putting a similar handrail on the new bridge that matches ... the old bridge as part of the mitigation,\" Blair said, describing how architectural features and a roadside interpretive kiosk have been used on other projects to address historic‑resource concerns.

Why it matters: the existing concrete‑arch bridge is more than a century old and at the end of its useful life; KDOT selected the county for a 2027 letting that could provide roughly $2,000,000 toward construction. Commissioners authorized the county to hire the engineering firm to carry the project through the preliminary (\"field check\") plans phase so Linn County can complete permit submittals and get state review comments.

Key facts and next steps: Blair and county staff said the contract covers survey, preliminary design and utility research for a not‑to‑exceed engineering fee of $84,200. The firm estimated the county would be asked to pay about 60% of that fee up front to reach the field‑check (preliminary plan) milestone — about $50,520 — after which the county may stop work if historic‑resource or utility issues make the project impractical. \"You can stop at any time,\" Blair said of the standard contract.

Blair warned that utilities and the county right‑of‑way situation are the main cost uncertainties. \"The utility moves would be the only wild card in that deal,\" he said. County staff and the engineer said utility relocations, rights‑of‑way and the outcome of historic‑preservation review will determine the county's ultimate share; the transcript did not specify a final county construction contribution. The engineer said if the job stays on the existing alignment it is unlikely to exceed KDOT's $2 million construction threshold, but if the county must swing the alignment around houses or utilities the cost could be much higher.

Commission action and timing: A commissioner moved that the chair be authorized to sign the contract with Cook, Flatt & Strobel to pursue the KDOT grant; another commissioner seconded, and commissioners voted \"aye.\" The board also authorized county staff to complete and submit the KDOT acceptance form (the commissioners directed Jesse Walton, the county public works administrator, to sign the required county acceptance form) before the KDOT deadline later that week.

Background and constraints: Blair said the county will need to complete survey and about 60% design to trigger state review by the Corps of Engineers, Kansas Division of Water Resources and other reviewing agencies. That review also prompts comment from the State Historic Preservation Office (the \"historic society\" in the discussion), which typically will not commit in advance and may require mitigations such as reconstructing decorative railings or adding interpretive signage.

What commissioners emphasized: commissioners stressed they wanted an opt‑out before spending large sums. Commissioner comments noted that the 60% field‑check cost is an initial investment to determine whether the historic‑preservation or utility issues force a more expensive option.

What's next: county staff will sign the preliminary documents, submit the required KDOT acceptance (the 13‑02 form), and have Cook, Flatt & Strobel begin survey and field‑check plans. The county will reassess and may terminate the work before further expense if the state or historic‑resource comments require an expensive re‑alignment.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Linn County Kansas Commissioner's Live Meeting 10.06.25","oneSentenceSummary","Linn County commissioners voted to authorize a professional services contract with Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers and to accept a $2 million KDOT grant offer to replace the bridge on East 850 Road over Little Sugar Creek.","taxTitle","Linn County, Kansas","taxId",64338,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427427,"Linn County economic‑development board seeks short‑term contractor to keep youth entrepreneur and small grants programs active",32,7364000,7332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74&start=7364&end=7332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74/thumbnail_7364000.jpg","/articles/6427427/Linn-County/Kansas/Linn-County-economicdevelopment-board-seeks-shortterm-contractor-to-keep-youth-entrepreneur-and-small-grants-programs-active","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427427-2d3813c3e0776b8619ef3b8205709ac2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771006097&Signature=D3r4AcIj-l7ZeifvhE0iblwCNTj2hSoU0eeu7wyDywju556kdqQ01NaJwMmqBeL1VFOfCR8okdqPXTRY6nqg-uF4l1zyXM0pA5eb48x4aJDmjAWFxHZELgHKPhSMs1zWeCKiiTEVio2VhnbECMHDT0OSMf21AHhe3kV9A0KyievKfhIpBNeZHmzGV729SbScAwoP6D4bOAEKWXTRUWZMYksWEJlT8g3xawm6vEfDI4cLCjF7II53914vTmKJGBM98ICIVu3IdyzQ3x9N-xYVUr7tgz9HYiEIB1HK7vooCGFZ7C2Fvd-M9kCaaxmx782wKgoff0cj5pX9iBeDKxb~mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jennifer Leech Harlow, representing Linn County's economic‑development board, asked commissioners whether the board should continue meeting and whether the county can contract for short‑term support to run key programs including the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC), a summer youth employment program, a daycare grant, sidewalk grants and home‑improvement grants.

Why it matters: Leech Harlow said the YEC typically distributes about $5,000 in prizes and requires coordination with schools, judges and sponsors; the county's Network Kansas contact (Janet Miller) provides support and funding for the competition. The board said volunteers who currently serve are largely working full‑time and have limited capacity to add the operational work needed to prepare the YEC and other near‑term grant deadlines.

Board request and commissioner response: Leech Harlow asked the commission to allow the board to hire a contractor to plan and execute the YEC (and possibly other programs) on a short‑term, contract‑for‑service basis. Board members estimated a single event contract for the YEC would likely range from $1,300 to $1,500; commissioners asked the board to solicit flat‑rate quotes for each program (YEC, summer employment, daycare grant, sidewalk and home‑improvement grants) and return with specific bids. The county attorney offered to draft a contract if commissioners provide the job description and the board identifies a proposed contractor.

Commissioner guidance: Commissioners suggested the proposed contractor should report to the economic‑development board (not directly to the commission) and recommended quarterly board meetings with additional meetings scheduled as needed for grant deadlines. The board will collect cost proposals and an exact job description for each program and deliver that to the clerk to circulate to commissioners for review.

Next steps: The economic‑development board will obtain written flat‑rate cost proposals for specified tasks, provide a detailed job description for each program to county counsel, and return to the commission with contract language and recommended terms. The commission indicated it is open to contracting for short‑term help to preserve the YEC and other programs pending a longer‑term organizational decision.","Members of the county economic development board asked commissioners to approve contracting for short‑term help to run the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and several grant programs; commissioners asked for flat‑rate cost proposals and asked county attorney to draft a contract if the board proposes a candidate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427435,"Public works reports on landfill truck bids and perimeter‑berm contract; expansion study ongoing",482,4310000,4792000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74&start=4310&end=4792","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74/thumbnail_4310000.jpg","/articles/6427435/Linn-County/Kansas/Public-works-reports-on-landfill-truck-bids-and-perimeterberm-contract-expansion-study-ongoing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427435-4667c590d7a44f55844aca4529ba3626/orig.mp4?Expires=1771006097&Signature=jkp6yntWrzBXovcUrhW1l61q5afHXekF-BBWqWUHwXawIGxskdIZ-JuSzErr1O7I4EXSqBliDKxW~2VZe9GJCCmkCMMrU59yaRDaUW6eYIoCm3HUyK5-j8hcoc8xVstIzHIL8zkgNGf2zbWDlrFdjLGTgv3xBhDdvgqjOVeYXWmsi22c8cJ1Nnym7qBOP09MtKNlL5lPJUGIy1T4TRLafvmSmRlw8wMWMV3ypH8RaaOIdIgYwzDDnl-fHd93SfUJM3SH6wHWsgF0Libcl085RAvBw5H1BII--CrUiqhCEGqOc8qfKUvHKWsKJVxkfaG5~MpvWB2IsW-l5Qgj7y5CFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jesse Walton, public works administrator, updated commissioners on three related landfill and facility items: vehicle bids for new roll‑off trucks, a perimeter‑berm construction contract, and ongoing work on a vertical expansion and potential strip‑pit reuse.

Truck bids: Walton read bids submitted for two new landfill trucks. Nextran Truck Centers bid a 2027 Mack Granite with roll‑off hoist priced at $220,715 per truck (delivery 180–240 days). Premier Truck Group bid two 2026 Freightliners with a total price for two chassis of $243,472.80; the bodies quoted for two trucks were listed separately at $141,060. Walton told commissioners he would return with a recommendation and paperwork at a subsequent meeting and said most funding for the trucks would come from ARPA funds with equipment‑reserve funds available if needed.

Perimeter berm contract: Walton said the county has an executed agreement with Nail Excavation to construct a perimeter berm at the landfill; the contractor's tentative start date is Nov. 3 and the bid price is $66,022. Walton said the signed agreement includes a guaranteed maximum bid from the contractor and that the county will hold the contractor liable for work. Walton indicated he planned to sign and return the agreement so work can begin.

Expansion and strip‑pit work: Walton said county staff are talking with the Corps of Engineers about reusing an on‑site strip pit east of the landfill; early indications are favorable but final Corps review is pending. Walton said vertical expansion is expected to provide several years of capacity (staff recalled an earlier estimate of roughly five years) but that actual timing depends on demolition volumes and incoming loads. He said staff will monitor filling rates and provide lead time to the commission if the county must accelerate expansion plans.

Next steps: Walton will return with a truck‑purchase recommendation and contract paperwork at the next commission meeting, will execute the perimeter berm agreement, and will continue coordination with the Corps and engineering staff on expansion planning.","Public works presented two truck bids for landfill replacements and said a contract to build a perimeter berm will begin in early November; staff reported progress on vertical expansion planning and potential use of a nearby strip pit pending Corps of Engineers review.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427442,"County public‑works office outlines FEMA reimbursement status and approves two‑year GWorks contract",1799,2460000,4259000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74&start=2460&end=4259","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900727-a497f969e543f62b281ca41e4dd8ce74/thumbnail_2460000.jpg","/articles/6427442/Linn-County/Kansas/County-publicworks-office-outlines-FEMA-reimbursement-status-and-approves-twoyear-GWorks-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427442-c1fd6a2d51bd01a4814ce41b6de930ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771006097&Signature=fMUjJS1mktr2L-swtaqjfQAK6o318dR-qvjrg2TuB27Gcc~tsgoCH73URsVP5C3UPzpxkwqRjf~pwhAD~Bl7SFFLsSX25bBaHRE1aQILW2xGw5~dvYlqif89nyWWpKy~kSepWj7~A5MjaeKdpKAU~-4p5gr4HwdnEwtK~lJA-Bsh8tKQXD3oq9-MJTbJSWf2yLI3eu1MnXZAii0mLVRH6EqTTh5pFEGNLoVQOpVch-9BzIh-Ncv~8xnPBGjTdTmzy0cFdMiM2Flh-tmwhT9aiHYPRmFos0cqivZNT30V2Nqae-7el4JfAa89UQe0TrfHyemTrkVckO4wF~qflcRIKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joyce Hall, public works office manager, briefed commissioners on two items: the county's pending FEMA reimbursements for a 2019 flood event and a proposed two‑year contract with GWorks for cloud operations and asset management migration.

FEMA reimbursement timeline: Hall said the county's 2019 flood reimbursements have totaled more than $1.9 million in submitted damage and that earlier recoveries came in multiple checks over time. \"We don't get just one check,\" Hall said, noting prior FEMA reimbursements arrived in installments (July 2020, November 2020 and May 2021) and that the county's FEMA application deadline for the recent event is January 2026. Hall also summarized the expected reimbursement share: \"FEMA will reimburse us 75%, but we also get 10% from the state,\" for a combined potential reimbursement of about 85% of eligible costs if approved.

GWorks contract and migration: Hall presented a cost breakdown for GWorks, the vendor proposed to replace the county's PubWorks system. She said GWorks' list price is $15,000 per year, the county qualified for a loyal‑client price of $11,064, and the vendor offered a 50% first‑year discount, bringing the first‑year operations charge to $5,532. Hall said the vendor also charges a one‑time implementation fee of $8,000 to migrate PubWorks data into the GWorks \"hyperweb\" system; Hall summarized the year‑one total as about $13,532 (implementation fee plus discounted first‑year operations), with recurring annual costs around $11,064 and an estimated 5–7% increase in later years.

Commission action: A commissioner moved and the board approved entering into a two‑year contract with GWorks (cloud operations/enterprise), described in the meeting as a two‑year commitment for a total amount of $24,596; commissioners authorized Jesse Walton, public works administrator, to sign the contract. The vendor will invoice the county the $8,000 implementation fee first and then invoice the remainder after migration and go‑live. Hall said migration work would proceed while staff continued using PubWorks; the vendor estimates two to three weeks to transfer data and additional meetings to verify datasets before a go‑live date.

Operational notes and staff capacity: Hall warned that her office is handling multiple deadlines, including an open transportation grant with a Nov. 20 deadline, and that she is covering extra duties while a staff member moved into planning and zoning responsibilities. She said she will coordinate implementation meetings and training (train‑the‑trainer) and recommended setting the county's renewal date to the GWorks go‑live date.

What commissioners asked: commissioners sought clarity on year‑one and ongoing costs, contract terms including the vendor's implementation schedule, and confirmation that data migration would be verified before go‑live. Hall said the county would be invoiced for the implementation fee once the contract is signed and that any prorated credit from the existing PubWorks contract would be applied to the migration charge.

","Linn County public‑works staff updated commissioners on FEMA reimbursements for past flood events and the county approved a two‑year contract with GWorks (cloud operations) for maintenance/asset software and migration services; the board authorized Public Works Administrator Jesse Walton to sign the contract.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Linn County approves engineering contract to pursue $2 million KDOT bridge grant

Linn County economic‑development board seeks short‑term contractor to keep youth entrepreneur and small grants programs active

Public works reports on landfill truck bids and perimeter‑berm contract; expansion study ongoing

County public‑works office outlines FEMA reimbursement status and approves two‑year GWorks contract