Franklin County commissioners approve $1.15 million chip-seal contract, rezoning for 1353 Douglas Road and consent agenda

Franklin County commissioners voted Wednesday to award a $1,150,000 chip-seal contract, approve a rezoning for a parcel commonly known as 1353 Douglas Road and adopt the consent agenda, which included $2,099,321.34 in claim vouchers.

The approvals came during the board’s regular May 7 meeting at the Franklin County Courthouse. The board voted unanimously on each item recorded on the roll call.

The consent agenda included approval of claim vouchers totaling $2,099,321.34, approval of the April 30 meeting minutes and authorization to re-solicit bids for the Franklin County painted pavement marking project. A motion to approve the consent agenda was made and seconded; the roll call recorded all members voting yes (Commissioner Saldemeyer; Commissioner Wehmeyer; Vice Chair Meador; Commissioner Dickinson; Chair Harris). The motion and second were not named on the record.

On land use, the board approved rezoning application 2502J003 for a 78.9-acre parcel commonly referred to as 1353 Douglas Road. County staff described the request as a rezoning of the northwest 12 acres to the RE district to create a single residential lot, while leaving the remainder of the parcel in the A-1 agricultural district for continued agricultural use. County staff said the planning commission and county planning staff recommended approval and noted a letter on file from Franklin World Water indicating a meter can be provided. Commissioners approved the rezoning on a unanimous voice vote with the same roll-call affirmation recorded for the consent agenda.

On roads, the board awarded the county’s chip-seal contract to the low bidder identified in the agenda as Advance Brothers for a total project price of $1,150,000.00. County roads staff (identified in the meeting by first name only as Jeff) told the board the bid included two surface aggregate options — washed limestone and a darker aggregate referred to in the record as “hadite” — and recommended the darker aggregate because staff said it typically lasts longer and resists chipping. "We get at least a year, oftentimes 2 additional years out of paydike," Jeff said, adding that the darker material "melts snow off better because it is a darker material" and "adheres to the road better." Jeff also stated the county has $1,000,000 budgeted for the chip-seal work and expects to use an additional roughly $112,000 from KDOT’s federal exchange program.

Jeff said the county has about three miles of washed limestone on hand and plans to use that material in the Leadbetter and Greenwood subdivisions. He told commissioners using the on-hand washed limestone for those neighborhoods would "bring the cost of the hadite down by about $70," and that the adjustment would likely bring the total project "about $12 under what we have in our budget," as stated in the meeting record. The staff presentation noted the bidder had provided an itemized price per yard or ton for different materials and that final cost adjustments would reflect the quantity used.

The record contains a minor discrepancy: the agenda and one itemized announcement named Advance Brothers as the contractor to be awarded the bid, while staff comments during discussion referenced Vance Brothers as a firm the county "works with all the time." The board did not resolve the naming discrepancy on the record; the contract award on the minutes reads as recorded above.

Following the votes, staff delivered routine updates. A county staff member (Brandon) briefed the board on a dedication ceremony scheduled for May 23 for a dogwood tree planted on the courthouse lawn by the Daughters of the American Revolution, progress on a district court concrete lift project, and pending exploratory work for the courthouse restoration pending dryer weather and State Historical Society review.

Public comment at the meeting included remarks from resident Norman Woogie, who said his family has lived in Franklin County for 60 years and urged the commission to maintain its authority and oversight in county decision-making.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda (claim vouchers $2,099,321.34; meeting minutes; re-solicitation of painted pavement marking bids) — Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call yes). Motion and second not specified in the record. - Rezoning application 2502J003 (commonly known as 1353 Douglas Road) — Requested: rezone northwest 12 acres of a 78.9-acre parcel to RE district, remainder to remain A-1 agricultural; Planning Commission and staff recommended approval — Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call yes). Mover/second: not specified. - Chip-seal contract award (agenda named bidder: Advance Brothers; staff discussion referenced Vance Brothers) — Contract price on the record: $1,150,000.00; county budgeted $1,000,000 plus ~ $112,000 from KDOT federal exchange funds — Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call yes). Mover/second: motion and second recorded on the record but mover/second not identified by name.

The board did not take additional formal actions at the meeting; staff said further work on the historic courthouse renovation awaits drier weather and review by the State Historical Society.