Road and Bridge supervisor reviews annual report; commissioners ask for line-item clarifications

Curt Hoffman, Road and Bridge Supervisor for Ellis County, presented the department's annual report that is submitted to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). Hoffman said the report summarizes projects crews worked on during the year and is used by KDOT for planning and funding allocations.

Commissioners and staff questioned several line items showing zeros and asked whether work on two Victoria bridges and other projects had been recorded in other report lines or prior-year reports. Hoffman and County Administrator Darren Myers explained some work was contractor-performed or recorded in different categories and that projects done in 2023 could appear in the previous year's report.

Hoffman described specific county work, including larger culvert replacements on 100th and Tenth Avenue north of Ellis, work on 30th Avenue south of Piper Cemetery, and asphalt milling on South Ellis. He also reported that crews performed minor maintenance on about 58 bridges during the reporting period.

Commissioners asked for follow-up: verify which lines reflect contractor vs. in-house work and confirm the accounting that produced a reported budget of about $7,600,000 versus actual spending of roughly $7,200,000. County staff said multiple funds and transfers (including special county highway fund and general fund transfers) underlie the figures and that the annual report is informational and must be placed in the minutes per statute.

No formal motion was required or taken; staff will follow up with line‑item clarifications for the commission.