Pottawatomie County Commission Chair Pat Weixelman likens it to a badminton match–but expressed frustration with a supplemental contract approved after considerable discussion at Monday’s meeting. A couple of different design/engineering firms have been involved in the Highway 24/Excel Road project that has been dragging on for nearly 12 years. Brad Fagan with Schwab-Eaton was present for the Commission meeting and admitted it’s been complicated–even in the earlier days when Bartlett West was involved.
Fagan adds it was further complicated when B-G Consultants became involved. Fagan admits it allows for more mistakes with multiple firms involved. Public works Director Peter Clark offered to spear-head efforts so the project can finally be put to bid for construction with one firm.
Fagan told commissioners things keep changing, which makes it challenging when working with groups such as the Kansas Department of Transportation. He went on to say his firm has done at least two traffic studies on the project.
Hopes are to tweak what has already been done by firms such as Schwab-Eaton, BG Consultants, and Bartlett-West, which was involved earlier –and then go to bid for construction with one firm. Public Works Director Peter Clark assured commissioners he’d take responsibility for tweaks that need to be made and he was given authority to work out further agreements with the firms involved.
While supporting the project, Weixelman was the one dissenting vote to a supplemental agreement on the plan, indicating frustration.
The Excel Road sewer project also was discussed Monday. Public Works Director Peter Clark says they awarded contracts to companies on projects that were bid on last week, including the sewer project. Another was for Brook Ridge II to J&K Contracting in Manhattan.
Clark also briefed the group on the county’s transportation master plan.
Register of Deeds Betty Abitz had some impressive numbers for commissioners Monday, with 347 documents in November. New sales represented 86 of those documents.
County Attorney Sherri Schuck talked to commissioners about a busy year, but the case load is down– 100 cases down from last year’s totals. But Schuck indicates they involved more serious cases. More than a thousand cases were still filed this year though.
County Sanitarian Scott Schwinn announced 109 health permits up to this date, which is up 17 from last year at this time.
