Columbia County public works on July 16 proposed contract C93-2025 with RACS Lending Inc. for rock‑crushing services at the Ross Pit, citing substantial cost savings compared with buying aggregate commercially.

Public Works Assistant Director Grant DeYoung explained the department uses crushed rock from the Ross Pit for road maintenance and typically schedules crushing every two years to meet maintenance needs. “Using that material is a substantial savings over buying it commercially,” DeYoung said. He said the department solicited four contractors pursuant to county contracting policy under ORS 279B; two were nonresponsive and two submitted quotes. DeYoung said Braxline Inc. submitted the low quote of $180,950 covering mobilization, drilling and blasting, and projected about 10,000 cubic yards of 3/4-inch minus, 3,000 cubic yards of 1-1/2-inch minus, and 1,500 cubic yards of 3-inch minus material.

DeYoung said the contract was included in the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget and that a mineral lease agreement with Knife River covers other operations at the Ross Pit; Knife River had already stripped overburden from the blasting area, saving the county about $25,000. When asked about pit longevity, Mike Russell said the work had reduced an earlier estimate of a 90‑year supply by roughly 20 years to about a 70‑year supply. Russell added the county can crush rock for about $8 per cubic yard compared with over $20 per cubic yard on the open market.

DeYoung requested the contract be scheduled on the consent agenda at a later meeting; staff said they were fine placing the item on consent next week so the board could take formal action then. No final contract award vote occurred at the July 16 meeting.