Commission approves county crews to assist nearby city with Front Street ditch repair (materials reimbursed)

Summary

Ellis County approved providing labor and equipment to help a nearby city repair a scoured roadside ditch on Front Street; the county will perform the work and the city will reimburse material costs; the estimated material/equipment cost presented was $758.44 and the job estimated to take about four hours.

The commission authorized Ellis County Public Works to assist a neighboring municipality with repairs to a scoured ditch along Front Street using county labor and equipment, with the municipality reimbursing material costs.

Public Works staff presented a photo and a brief cost estimate for the repair: total materials, labor and equipment cost was listed as $758.44 and the crew time was estimated at about four hours to remove loose material, add billings (aggregate) and recompact the road surface. Staff described the repair as a temporary fix to address a localized scour where a prior utility repair left loose material that has since washed away.

A motion to approve the Public Works department assisting the city was moved and seconded; commissioners clarified that the city would reimburse material costs and the county would provide labor and equipment. The motion passed 3‑0.

The formula for cost recovery and any formal interlocal agreement were not detailed in the briefing; staff said the county has followed a similar approach on past projects and would expect reimbursement of materials.