Committee approves county highway department to pave walk track after receiving cheaper estimate

Parks Director Cliff reported bids for a walk-track improvement project. Outside bids ranged from Waller’s at $104,034 up to $225,000; Milliken Paving was approximately $110,000. Cliff said the county highway department (Bill Scruggs) offered to perform the work for about $49,000–$50,000 but that relying on highway crews would require significant county labor and equipment.

Committee members discussed staffing shortages; Cliff said his department was short four employees and had recently lost a staff member to a higher-paying job. Committee members weighed the difficulty of making adjustments if outside contractors did the work versus the labor burden on county crews.

Following discussion, a member moved that the county (via Bill Scruggs and the highway department) perform the paving; the committee voted in favor on a voice vote and the motion carried. Staff said they would coordinate timing with highway department paving schedules and expected to clear and regrade the track so it would be ready within about a week of paving, although some short-term closures and heavy equipment work are expected.