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Chickasaw County weighs widespread road maintenance vs. Alta Vista overlay, schedules budget amendment hearing
Summary
County staff laid out options to use infrastructure funds for widespread crack‑filling and slurry work or to pave 0.67 miles of Alta Vista with a 2‑inch asphalt overlay; supervisors asked staff to prepare a budget amendment and set a public hearing for Sept. 3, 2024, to proceed with awards if approved.
Chickasaw County supervisors spent the bulk of their Aug. 12 meeting debating how to spend infrastructure money on road maintenance and whether to use it for a full asphalt overlay on Alta Vista Road or for crack‑filling and slurry work across multiple routes.
County road staff presented options that include immediate crack‑filling and slurry leveling this fall on Kenwood Avenue North, B22, B28 and other routes, and a 2‑inch asphalt overlay on a roughly 0.67‑mile stretch of Alta Vista. "I believe we would be looking at about $310,000 additional being spent out of the infrastructure fund" to cover the slate of proposed projects, the county staff member said during the presentation. The Alta Vista overlay estimate discussed in the meeting ranged from roughly $97,000 to $107,000 depending on bids.
Supervisors and staff discussed trade‑offs: spreading limited funds across many miles to extend pavement life versus investing in a single overlay that could improve ride quality on a heavily used segment. Staff noted the Alta Vista overlay would include raising five manholes in wheel tracks and that maintenance thereafter would likely be modest — "2 to $3,000 a year" in routine upkeep, the staff member said.
Board members asked whether the projects could proceed quickly enough to meet contractor schedules in the fall; staff said contractors indicated availability in September and recommended moving ahead with procurement following a public hearing. The board settled on a plan to prepare a budget amendment, publish required notices and hold a public hearing on Sept. 3, 2024, to authorize the amendment and allow awards to be made if the amendment is approved.
Supervisors also discussed the county's local option sales tax receipts and budget timing, and asked staff for a spreadsheet showing the effect of proposed allocations on monthly revenues. There was no formal final vote on the specific projects during the meeting; the board gave consensus direction to staff to prepare the amendment and solicit contractor bids once the public process is complete.
Next steps: staff will draft the budget amendment and publish a public‑hearing notice for Sept. 3, 2024. Contractors are expected to be able to mobilize in September if awards are made after the hearing.
