Cowley County declines $1 million Lover’s Lane grant after bids come in nearly double; approves limited right-of-way purchase and temporary road blading

Cowley County commissioners voted Nov. 13 to decline a $1 million state grant for the Lover’s Lane road project after Public Works Superintendent Jon Jordan and engineer John Riggins said two bids came in at nearly twice the grant amount.

County Administrator Lucas Goff told commissioners that although the county has already invested money to correct existing road issues, most of those costs were necessary repairs and not discretionary improvements. He outlined two options: abandon the project and forfeit the current grant (likely making the county ineligible for that grant pool for two to three years) or ask Kirkham Michael to revise the project scope to seek lower bids on a second round.

Following discussion, Commissioner Alan Groom moved and Vice Chairman Jim Maxwell seconded a motion to decline the $1 million grant funding for the Lover’s Lane project. The motion passed unanimously, 3-0.

Separately, the board approved a limited right-of-way acquisition to address the immediate road correction. County Administrator Lucas Goff presented project 018 C-5246-01 to acquire necessary right-of-way for Lover’s Lane not to exceed $1,247.63; the motion carried 3-0.

Commissioner Groom also raised safety and access concerns on 121st Road between 52nd and 42nd Roads in Richland Township after township officers reported that their grader failed more than 30 days ago. Commissioners agreed to instruct the county to blade those township roads to make them passable until the township can procure a replacement grader; that instruction was approved 3-0.

The board did not adopt a revised project scope at this meeting. Commissioners noted the practical trade-offs of declining the grant, including delays of multiple years before the county could again compete in that grant pool.