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County engineer updates board on road grants, culvert work and staffing; recommends hire
Summary
County Engineer Michael Kennedy briefed the board on grant opportunities for W-14, bridge superstructure work underway, an estimated $46,000 culvert replacement inside city limits, dust-control material testing and recommended hiring Will Watson as an equipment operator; the board approved the hire by voice vote.
Michael Kennedy, introduced by the chair as the county engineer, gave a multi-part report on road and shop operations.
Kennedy said staff are pursuing grant opportunities that could help with W-14 improvements (north/south segments) and asked residents, school bus drivers and farmers to submit safety-related testimonials to support applications. He provided an engineer contact email and said compiled testimonials would be helpful as supporting documentation.
Kennedy described bridge work underway: beams across the center span were in place and sandblasting and repainting were scheduled; he expected the east span work to be completed this week and the west span the following week. He also noted a small culvert on the north side of Washington (within the city of Mississippi) that would require an 84-inch pipe with an estimated cost in the mid-$40,000 range.
On staffing, Kennedy reported six applicants for an opening at the Locust shop and recommended hiring Will Watson as an equipment operator. The board moved to hire Will Watson and approved the appointment by voice vote.
Kennedy and members also discussed dust-control materials: county testing of calcium chloride indicated stronger road section performance compared with untreated roads, and Kennedy said magnesium chloride (used by the contractor Dustbusters) is similar and can require reduced reapplication after initial treatment.
The engineer closed by describing ongoing shop work, upcoming staff schedules and equipment installations. No formal action beyond the hire was taken; board members asked staff to file and post documentation and to continue outreach for testimonials to support grant applications.
