Page County raises rock application rate to 2,000 tons per mile; engineer reports equipment and bridge work

The Page County Board of Supervisors voted to change the county's rock-application rate from 1,200 tons per mile to 2,000 tons per mile during its meeting. The motion passed by voice vote and was recorded as "Aye" by board members; the chair announced the motion carried.

The change grows out of a county review of its secondary-roads policy. Page County Engineer JD King said the policy had last been updated in 2011 and that heavier equipment and current field conditions justified increasing the material rate. "The policy we're operating right now ... was updated last in 2011 ... I'm proposing 2,000 tons per mile," King said.

King also delivered the engineer's routine update: crews are blading where conditions allow but are watching for moisture; beaver-dam work and brush piling are underway; a single-axle truck that rolled in a snow event was sent to Des Moines for repair and may not be ready soon; the county is considering buying a used single-axle truck (without snow equipment) to pull the spray patcher. Two motor graders (Nos. 8 and 1) were serviced and had snow wings removed, and the county will prepare an equipment-disposal list and move some vehicles to online auction.

Work continues on the Essex North Bridge: beams have been set, formwork is underway and the county expects a deck pour in April, King said. There is a preconstruction meeting scheduled for a J-64 guardrail job; county staff also discussed quotes for an annex parking lot (options: asphalt, concrete, or interim rock).

King told the board he had reduced planned new-equipment expenditures by $430,000, cutting the line from $950,000 to $620,000. The chair asked staff to ensure the rock-policy change is noted in the minutes.

The board recorded the motion to change the rock-application rate and carried it by voice vote. No roll-call vote or individual vote-record names were provided in the transcript.