Commissioners approve $19,240 engineering contract and conditional purchase of backhoes

At the April 6 meeting, the Switzerland County Board of Commissioners approved an engineering contract with Gonzalez company not to exceed $19,240 for work related to Bulger Tapp engineering proposals and discussed equipment purchases for the highway department.

Highway Superintendent Dusty Hunt reported crews are hauling chips for upcoming chip-and-seal work and stockpiling 53B material for shoulder repairs on Antioch 3. The board discussed replacing older equipment and considered purchasing three backhoes; they noted that buying all three together would save roughly $47,000-$48,000 compared with separate purchases.

Commissioner Ryan Harrison moved to approve contracting Gonzalez company for engineering work not to exceed $19,240; Joe Bennett seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Later, Harrison moved to purchase two backhoes from the commissioners casino fund if the casino fund balance is $1,470,000.00 and for the highway department to purchase the third; Jamie Peters seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Commissioners discussed financing plans, citing a possible allocation of about $150,000 from commissionersunds and approximately $140,000 from highway funds, with the board intending to request additional funding from the county council if needed.

Dusty Hunt escribed the operational needs motivating the purchases but no additional details on financing approval from council were recorded in the minutes. The motions passed with all commissioners voting in favor.