Committee reviews County Z project status, equipment purchases and rising supply costs

Highway staff updated the Adams County Highway Committee on the County Z construction project, equipment acquisitions and supply issues, and the committee discussed budget and procurement implications.

Staff said County Z work continues with engineering and easement acquisition underway; final concurrence from the Department of Natural Resources remains a gating step for the Duck Creek Bridge area. Jewell Associates was named as the firm acquiring several limited-term easements needed for construction.

The committee heard about equipment purchases: a used power broom with warranty, a 10,000-gallon brine storage tank to support Storm Extreme trucks, and an ordered 5,500 quad-cab pickup chassis. Staff also discussed plans to secure a quad-axle chassis to build for a 2027 Storm Extreme truck.

Members raised concern that the County Z project and others recently went over budget and suggested reexamining bid sizes and the balance between new construction and ongoing maintenance so the county does not repeatedly exceed planned expenditures. Staff said the funding formula for general transportation aids is a six-year average of county spending and that those averages affect state aid allocations.

Supply issues: shop superintendent Gary Otto reported carbide plow blades have roughly tripled in price and inventory is limited; the county is considering limiting blade releases to external townships to preserve supply for county operations.

Next steps: staff will continue DNR coordination for County Z, complete easement work, monitor procurement deliveries and report back on funding and construction scheduling.