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County commissioners hear warnings about shrinking overlay miles and staffing shortages for roads
Summary
Road and Bridge official Ryan Fine told commissioners overlay capacity has fallen from about 14 miles a year to 9.5 miles and that the department is down several drivers; commissioners said they will review the 2027 road-and-bridge budget and staffing needs.
Road and Bridge concerns about declining maintenance capacity and staff shortages were central to discussion during the Osage County meeting.
Ryan Fine (S6) told the board that the county's routine chip seal and overlay work has declined: "They used to do 20 miles of chip seal per year...and then we used to get 14 miles of overlay. We are down to 9 and a half miles of overlay per year." Fine said the county will meet with chip-and-seal crews and try to sustain the current pavement through overlay and resealing but warned that limited funds and fewer staff are stretching operations.
Commissioners acknowledged the funding shortfall and the need to re-examine the road-and-bridge budget for 2027. Fine and other staff described recent resignations that left the department short-handed and noted managers sometimes must drive trucks to cover routes — reducing time for planning and inspections. The board asked staff to prepare budget and staffing proposals for upcoming budget work sessions.
No formal vote was taken on funding during the meeting; commissioners agreed to consider the budget adjustments as part of the 2027 process.
