FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners continued a public hearing Tuesday to Dec. 18 on the proposed $1.06 million unorganized territory budget for 2013-14. They want to wait until a road management survey is done to see what the county faces in road improvements.
Road Agent Jerry Haines is requesting $150,000 for the paving reserve, $50,000 more than this year’s budget.
There is $101,089 in the reserve already, county Clerk Julie Magoon said.
The price of paving has more than tripled since 2000, paving contractor Bruce Manzer told commissioners. It was $28.49 a ton in 2000; the proposed budget pegs it at $87 a ton.
“What used to do a mile of road now does a fraction,” he said.
The cost of petroleum has driven up the cost.
When discussing roads, Manzer said it is a better practice to spend the money on keeping good roads good, rather than rushing to spend the money on reconstructing a bad road. The bad road is not going to get much worse, he said, but good roads could deteriorate unless they are maintained.
Haines reviewed some of what has been done to roads and what needs to be done for future improvements.
He had asked Manzer to give an estimate of work for six roads, including four sections of Gilkey Hill Road in Freeman Township. The others were Baker Hill Road in Freeman Township, Reeds Mills Road in Madrid Township, Tory Hill Road and Upper West Freeman Road in the Freeman Township area.
Manzer’s estimates totaled $1.09 million for all of the work. Commissioners asked Manzer and Haines to work together on a road management study.
It is expected to be ready for the Dec. 18 commissioners meeting. The unorganized territory budget needs to be submitted to the state by the end of December.
This is a good budget year to add more into the paving reserve if that’s what commissioners want to do, Magoon said.
The overall proposed spending plan is $65,618 more than this year’s, after Magoon added $2,500 to the E911 director’s current salary of $2,500. A project that needs to be done in the next year in regards to confirming addresses takes more time to do, she said. Magoon also added $408 to the NorthStar Services budget to make it $57,612 to reflect the exact subsidy to be paid for service in the unorganized territory.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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- Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike, left, was recognized Tuesday for his dedication to Franklin County residents during the Franklin County Commission meeting by members of the Franklin County Firefighters Association. Beside Pike are Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell, Farmington Deputy Chief Tim Hardy, who is county Emergency Management Agency director, and Farmington Deputy Fire Chief Clyde Ross, past president of the association. Seated in center is county Treasurer Mary Frank.
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