County Engineer Darren Moon delivered a broad quarterly report to the Story County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 6 covering winter maintenance, bridge projects, planned overlays, capital needs and drainage problems.

Moon said county crews plowed early and intensively beginning after Thanksgiving and mobilized graders and V-plows; he noted the county opened a bridge on 150th Street over the Skunk River after delays and described negotiations with a contractor claiming weather-related delays. "We got it open," Moon said, and added staff will pursue mediation with the DOT on contract-delay claims.

Looking ahead, Moon said the county plans about 17 miles of asphalt overlay work to be let this month. He also said the county is pursuing a federal grant expected to cover the full cost of the Howard 11 Bridge; because the grant requires bundling with neighboring projects, the county may delay that bridge a year to align funding.

Moon described a preliminary roundabout design at Cameron School Road and G.W. Carver Avenue. The city recently annexed the area and is asking the county to contribute about 25% of design costs, Moon said; he has budgeted a county share in his FY2027 draft and will report back when estimates are finalized.

On county facilities, Moon told the board the main shop expansion had an initial budget of $1.3 million but preliminary design raised the estimate to roughly $1.7'$1.8 million, driven in part by stormwater and sanitary-sewer elevation complications that require additional piping and pavement removal. Moon said staff will further scrutinize design items before the Jan. 30 budget meeting.

Moon also presented a drainage-tile problem in Nevada where prolonged ponding and basement flooding stem from private and city tile configurations and multiple pipeline crossings. He said a preliminary estimate for the proposed tile work is about $60,000 and that the city and county had discussed splitting costs. "I can cover it under my existing budget," Moon said, but he recommended a second estimate because city bidding thresholds could raise costs.

Finally Moon updated the board that the wind-turbine repower project had no major new developments and announced the retirement of inventory coordinator Dave Votter and an internal promotion for lead mechanic Charlie Carstrue, noting mechanics are in short supply and a recruitment process is underway.

Supervisors thanked Moon for the update and asked staff to bring final cost estimates and any contract issues to future meetings.