Cass County accepts highway material bids; single chip‑seal application estimated at about $13,000 per mile

The Cass County Commissioners voted to accept the highway department’s recommended materials and supplies bids and to declare three pieces of highway equipment surplus.

County highway representative Jeff summarized the bids and market conditions, saying asphalt mix prices were largely flat; the emulsion used for chip seals was down about 5% ("about a nickel a gallon"); aggregates were generally up 4–5% for state‑certified products; and culvert pipe prices rose roughly 10–15% this year. He noted the new Heidelberg Logansport quarry is offering some aggregate products at a few dollars per ton less than other suppliers but is not yet state certified for certain uses.

On the question of maintenance costs, Jeff estimated "a mile of chip and seal is approximately $13,000 for a single seal mile, that's right around that neighborhood." He contrasted that with hot‑mix asphalt, which he said typically exceeds $100,000 per mile, and urged using chip‑seal as a cost‑effective preservation strategy.

The board also agreed to declare three highway items surplus: an old lowboy trailer (for which staff said there is an offer to purchase), an obsolete welder with a persistent defect, and a set of tractor weights no longer matched to county equipment. A commissioner moved, the motion was seconded, and the measures passed by voice vote.

The highway department said accepting multiple vendor bids preserves flexibility amid supply constraints and allows the county to choose state‑certified products where required for paving and chip‑seal work. No specific vendors or contract award amounts were listed in the public motion; commissioners took the bids and the surplus declarations as presented and approved them.

The board did not set construction dates in the meeting; staff indicated project scheduling and vendor certification needs will be addressed in follow‑up work.