Franklin County to solicit bids for 34 miles of chip seal, 31 miles of striping

Franklin County public-works staff asked the commission to solicit competitive bids for a 34-mile chip-seal program and 31 miles of paint striping; the board voted unanimously to authorize staff to solicit bids and to include both limestone and haydite aggregate options.

Why it matters: The county’s pavement-preservation choices and the extent of this year’s program affect local roads, budgets and which neighborhoods receive surface-treatment work. Public-works staff said the 34-mile proposal is smaller than in some past years because the county is also scheduling asphalt projects.

Public-works presentation: Jeff Walton told commissioners the work would cover a southern area of the county and includes two subdivisions, Greenwood Estates and Leadbetter Estates. Walton said the county has leftover limestone chips that may be used for the subdivisions to cut costs and recommended soliciting bids for both limestone and haydite on higher-traffic roads so the board can compare prices.

Commission questions and vote: Commissioners asked whether Leadbetter had been annexed (it had not) and discussed contract status for that subdivision. Commissioners voted to solicit bids; a roll-call vote recorded unanimous support.

Implementation and next steps: Staff will publish the bid solicitation, accept bids and return recommendations to the commission. Walton and other public-works staff also noted striping mileage was updated from an earlier packet and confirmed final bid specs will reflect the 31-mile striping figure. The solicitation will not include subdivision-specific finish work beyond the stated mileage until bid responses and price comparisons are complete.

Staff also briefed the board on related operations: ongoing pothole and patching work, new trucks arriving in April–May and an out-of-service bucket truck that may require additional repair or replacement.