County to bid paving amid 18‑position shortfall; committee approves temporary flagger hire and awards culvert bid

Department of Public Works staff told the committee they will put paving out to bid this summer after bids returned at roughly the same price as in‑house work and the department reported a substantial staffing shortfall.

"We have so because of from the budget time, we've got 2 less foreman, 3 less teamsters, and we have 6 fewer flaggers," DPW (Deb) said, adding that seven teamster positions are currently open. Staff said the county will still perform some work—shoulder backs, intersections and driveway tie‑ins—but will outsource paving runs where contractor pricing and reduced county crew availability make that necessary.

The committee approved awarding a box‑culvert bid for County Route 153 to Fort Millard for $77,880 and moved other asphalt and fuel/bid reviews to the finance committee for further review. DPW told members industry escalation may add roughly $20,000–$25,000 per mile in recent price increases.

To address immediate safety and project coverage, DPW requested using budget 'breakage' (savings from vacancies) of $29,354 to fund one seasonal flagger at an estimated $26,028 for the season. Committee members agreed to add the seasonal position on a temporary basis and discussed adding a sunset clause (members proposed Oct. 30, 2026) so the hire does not become part of the permanent staffing pattern; the motion to move the staffing amendment to personnel was approved.

The committee asked staff to return with a finalized plan for contractor use, flagger coverage and any expected cost impacts to operations.