Road and Bridge warns of costly grader repairs, approves operator training

Commissioner Mark Mosley opened discussion of Road and Bridge operations after department head reports. Wayne Lanning, Road and Bridge supervisor, said a grader requires repairs with an estimated cost of "$10,000.00 to $12,000.00" and suggested performing targeted repairs now while considering a used replacement later in the year. He told the board his maintenance budget is "almost spent" for the year.

Lanning also provided a purchase price he said he had confirmed for gravel: "$18.25/ton" from Garden City, which he said includes gravel and freight; he said he would do additional research on sourcing. On crew training, Lanning said he wanted to send two employees — Joe Martinez and Denny Clapp — to grader training in April. The board agreed to send the two employees to the training.

The discussion did not include a formal motion to purchase repairs or equipment; commissioners did not record a vote authorizing the grader expenditure at this meeting. The comments establish near-term capital-maintenance pressure on the Road and Bridge maintenance line and an operational preference to prioritize limited repairs, seek used equipment later in the year, and invest in operator training.

Next steps: Lanning will continue research on gravel sourcing and freight, and the county will track the maintenance budget and any formal purchase requests in future meetings.