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Commission approves equipment buys and green‑lights new shop; engineers outline bridge maintenance plan
Summary
The commission approved plans to dispose of surplus equipment, purchase a tractor rig and build an 80×150 shop building funded from capital improvement funds. County engineering staff outlined a bridge repair and staffing plan and requested changes to the department manning chart.
County commissioners authorized the engineer’s office to dispose of two surplus items and approved the purchase of heavy equipment and a new shop building.
Engineering staff asked to surplus a small 12×30 office trailer and a 2006 aluminum tri‑axle utility trailer because the county cannot use the aluminum trailer to haul riprap. Commissioners approved disposal at the engineer’s discretion, using local bid or GovDeals to solicit buyers.
The commission approved purchase of a newer Kenworth tractor rig with a Cummins engine for $221,500, a purchase the engineer said was within an approved budget item. Commissioners also approved construction of a new 80×150 red‑iron shop building; staff presented a base erection price and optional alternates that raised the full build price to about $339,812 when alternates were included. Staff noted an overall per‑square‑foot estimate of about $54.29 if all alternates are accepted. The proposed location is behind the commission facility at the rear left of the property.
Engineering leadership briefed the commission on bridge work priorities and staffing changes. Staff reported the county has the second‑largest bridge inventory in the state and proposed creating a bridge maintenance foreman and a right‑of‑way crew drawn from existing resources rather than adding multiple new crews. The office said it will request a finalized manning chart at the next workshop with proposed reclassifications and positions split out in detail.
The engineer also said the department will purchase a mini excavator (an approved budget item) to assist with bridge encasement work and that many resurfacing projects last year were completed largely by contractors; the county reported 93% contractor completion versus a 50% minimum required by Rebuild Alabama.
Commissioners approved the equipment purchases and building funding and tasked staff with returning to the workshop with a detailed manning chart and cost breakdowns for any additional staffing changes.
