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Council approves appropriations for bridge and culvert work; county preparing three emergency installations
Summary
The county council approved appropriations from cumulative bridge and MBH funds to replace small structures; three box culverts were ordered with deliveries in June, July and after Aug. 1 and the highway department says roads can reopen about a week after delivery if no complications arise.
The Henry County Council approved requested appropriations to replace small county structures and to fund leftover projects from last year, the highway department reported.
Braden, identified in the meeting as a highway department staff member, said the appropriation request was intended to fund replacement of small structures whose invoices had not arrived in time to be expended last year. He reported that box culverts for three roads had been ordered: one due in June, a second due in July and a third arriving after Aug. 1. "The plan is to have everything prepped and ready so that when those deliveries come in on the semis, there's already a crane sitting there to lift them off, and they get set immediately," Braden said. "I'm hopeful that, you know, a week, once those are delivered, then we're able to open the road back up."
Council members discussed local cumulative bridge fund reserves. One member noted the county's cumulative bridge fund will be nearly depleted after the requested allocation and said the shortfall will need to be addressed during the next budget cycle. Council discussion identified that adjusting the cumulative bridge levy affects other cumulative funds and has process and notice requirements.
A motion to approve the appropriations from the identified county funds passed unanimously. The council recorded that while funds exist in the specified cumulative accounts, the county has about 50 small structures needing replacement, signaling ongoing capital demand.
Why this matters: the approved appropriations fund immediate safety and access repairs on county roads and highlight a near-term funding squeeze for the cumulative bridge fund that county officials said will need attention during budget planning.
