Committee approves materials bids for highways

Savings from a mild 2024 winter will help the county’s highway department play catch-up on some needed maintenance projects.

At last week’s Taylor County Highway Committee meeting, committee members approved hiring Charles Kegerreis Home Improvements LLC., of Athens, to do building improvements and roof replacement on the leanto building and depot building on the highway property in Medford.

The contractor was the low bid received on the work with a cost of approximately $20,000.

Highway commissioner Ben Stanfley noted the price could go up if when the roof is removed there are additional repair work needs discovered. He said this would be billed out on a time and materials basis at $45 per hour.

Committee members questioned the process used to ensure that local contractors had the option of doing the work. Stanfley said they solicited for the work with a number of contractors. It was below the amount to go through the formal bid process. Stanfley said the contractors had submitted their prices for the work and Charles Kegerreis Home Improvements was the lowest.

In addition to the building repairs quote, committee members also approved the routine bids for materials for upcoming road work.

Bid amounts were as follows: Hot mix asphalt for the CTH Q project from Hwy 64 to CTH M for American Asphalt for $55.42 per ton.

Hot mix asphalt for general use, American Asphalt at $59.10 per ton and Chippewa County at $59.60 per ton.

Hot mix rutwedge material, American Asphalt at $68.35 per ton and Chippewa County at $59.60 per ton.

Pulverizing (at the request of the towns of Medford, Hammel and Aurora), Tri County Paving at $4,420 per mile for $15,470 for 3.5 miles.

Milling, American Asphalt $.05 per square yard projected total square yardage needed at 62,938 for a cost of $3,146.90. Stanfley noted this was 33 cents per square yard less than the second highest bidder because it included American Asphalt being able to keep the majority of material milled - resulting in it being about $20,000 less than the next low bidder. Stanfley said with the limits on how much new material versus old can be used on projects, it was not worth it for the county to have a large amount of stockpiled millings.

Asphalt emulsion, Meigs with $2.27 per gallon for tack and spray patch and either $2.59 or $2.89 per gallon for chipseal depending on type.

Three-quarter inch material - Peterson at $8.43 per ton on the CTH Q project. Approximately 3,500 tons will be used.

For the Rustic Road and Taylor County Forest projects, Komarek was the low bidder at $5.07 per ton with approximately 4,400 tons needed.

For 1.25 inch material, Komarek was the low bidder at $5.07 per ton.

For sand, Melvin was the low bid for the Medford shop at $11.85 per ton (this includes trucking cost); for the Gilman shop Ovyn was the low bidder at $12.55 per ton; for the Rib Lake shop, Haas was the low bidder at $10.97 per ton.

For chips — for CTH F, Ovyn was the low bidder for $20.96 per ton with approximately 1,935 tons; for CTH V, H, and MM Haas was the low bidder with $23.95 per ton with approximately 1,146 tons; for CTH C Haas was the low bidder at $12.63 per ton with approximately 760 tons; for Hwy 64 Ovyn was the low bid at $24.15 per ton with approximately 1,345 tons.

Stanfley told committee members that the prices were not far off from last years with an increase of 1.7% to 2.7% for gravel and an increase of 2.25% and 2.75% overall.

In other business, committee members:

• Received an update on snowplowing. Stanfley said the county was under the six year average in January and said they should be at the average for February. “There is no reason to hit the panic button,” he said.

• Received a report on the discussion about the town of Rib Lake taking over Rustic Road No. 1. Stanfley said the town patrolman was interested in it, the town would receive $13,834 in additional state road aids for the maintenance of it. He said if it was done, it would become a town road and the county would not pay toward anything to the town for maintenance of it. Stanfley noted the entire length of the Rustic Road will have gotten 5 inches of gravel on it.

• The speed ordinance for county roads will go to the April county board session.