Curtis Mader, Butler County director of public works, told the commission that the county is pursuing a Federal Highway Administration bridge investment grant and faces tight readiness requirements that may force the county to pay for field checks and partial design work up front.

Mader said the grant timeline and staffing changes at Federal Highway have delayed decisions and that the application will be evaluated on “readiness of the project.” He told commissioners a field check and roughly 60% of design would likely cost about $50,000 per structure and that the county and a partner, identified in the meeting as Cali County, are planning to submit a joint application for a multi-bridge package.

Why it matters: the county would have to spend design money before an award is announced. If the grant is not awarded, the county would still retain the designs for future use, but the expense would come from local budgets ahead of any federal reimbursement.

Mader said the county’s strategy is to submit the most shovel‑ready projects to get the “biggest bang for my buck,” noting that some bridges already are fully designed and others would require the field checks to meet the grant’s readiness threshold. He explained that federal rules generally prohibit reimbursement for work done before an award unless the Federal Highway Administration issues a “letter of no prejudice” confirming pre-award work may be included in the project scope.

Commissioners asked about timelines, readiness and risk. Mader said that if the county applies in October or November, an award could be made in late February, but months of contracting follow an award and grantees then typically have 18 months to reach shovel‑ready status for construction. He said the county expects to issue a federal RFQ for engineering and split design work between two firms; the selected firms would perform field checks and prepare structures to the required level of readiness.

A commissioner noted a candidate total upfront commitment of about $750,000; Mader confirmed field checks for multiple bridges could total several tens of thousands per structure and that the county intends to prioritize designed projects to reduce that exposure.

The commission did not take a vote on the grant application at the meeting. Mader said staff will proceed with preparing RFQs and contracting for field checks to position Butler County to apply for this round and future rounds of the federal program.

Ending: Mader said if the county is not awarded funding this round it can reapply; he warned the federal program is competitive and described the county’s approach as taking an upfront risk to improve chances of award.