Karl Knapp, who presented the Road and Bridge budget, told commissioners the department has kept salaries steady but expects pressure in parts and repairs and gravel‑crushing lines.

Knapp proposed a $25,000 increase to parts and repairs and cut back purchase services in other areas; he also recommended adjusting gravel‑crushing and royalty assumptions. Road staff and commissioners discussed options for accounting for gravel crushed near the end of the fiscal year and whether to accept bills that arrive after fiscal year close. Several participants urged budgeting for crushing where the contractor is already mobilized to avoid paying a second mobilization cost.

Commission staff and road supervisors discussed specific pits (Kennedy, Chalk Buttes, Schultz/Shepherd pits), the central Kennedy pit as a candidate for larger crushing volumes, inventory reporting for the auditor (how yardage at pits is reported as inventory) and how delayed deliveries during recent supply issues have affected equipment replacement schedules. Knapp described pending capital outlay for a loader, two trucks and a belly dump; expected truck delivery dates were winter months and the loader in July. He also flagged a large culvert replacement on Hammond Road (about 110 feet of 6‑foot diameter culvert) as a scheduled capital repair.

Road foremen and commissioners discussed the tradeoff between keeping next year’s budget level and recognizing that delayed purchases or deliveries can require budget adjustments. No formal vote was taken on final figures at this meeting; commissioners asked staff to reflect anticipated crushing and equipment needs when assembling the county’s preliminary budget.