Supervisors adopt bridge postings, approve cemetery repair reimbursement and discuss Twin Falls and Airport Lake projects

Chickasaw County supervisors on May 26 moved several infrastructure items forward.

Bridge postings: County Engineer Roman presented posting recommendations for four bridges on the county’s secondary road system — several reduced to single‑lane postings and load limits — and the board adopted resolution 5‑11‑26‑29 to post the bridges. Engineer staff said two of the four could be completed with county crews; the other two would require contractor work.

Chickasaw Cemetery Boulevard: Road crews had replaced a pipe and paved access to Chickasaw Cemetery ahead of board approval following a miscommunication. Staff reported total labor, equipment and material costs of $4,420.62 (estimate had been higher). The board concluded the route is not a secondary road and that the cost should be charged to general services; supervisors approved reimbursing general services $4,004.20 for the work (motion carried).

Twin Falls Nature Center: Engineer and conservation staff reviewed bid documents for a proposed 60x120 building and discussed whether the estimated cost would trigger state public‑improvement thresholds requiring public hearings and competitive bidding. Staff said the current estimate keeps the project below the state threshold for a full public bid but still requires public quotations and multiple vendor quotes; the board also discussed including water and electrical work and transparency if a board member’s company bids.

Airport Lake overflow: Engineer staff reported a probable failure of an 8‑inch drawdown valve in a vertical shaft controlling lake overflow. Options include drawing the lake down to repair the structure (which could affect campground operations) or installing cofferdams and sheet piling; DNR coordination and potential grant funding were discussed, but grant cycles likely delay reimbursement until next winter.