No decision reached to fund repairs of crumbling oil roads

Antelope County’s rural residents, who hoped for answers to deteriorating paved roads at a special meeting of the county commissioners last week, will have to wait a while longer.

After spending nearly four hours of dialog with road superintendent Aaron Boggs, part-time foreman and former superintendent Casey Dittrich and engineer Brian McDonald, the five commissioners tabled action to borrow funds for repairs.

The May 22 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh was transmitted via Zoom to the basement meeting room to accommodate an excess of 10 audience members and to those who participated remotely. The meeting continued despite technology issues that interrupted audio transmission for about 10 minutes.

Boggs said the goal is to reduce the number of miles of paved roads in the county to less than 140 and recommended several problematic oil roadways be ground up and returned to gravel or the less-porous Sinclair dirt.

The county leaders are considering concrete paving for some heavy-load roads. Initial cost is similar but concrete lasts much longer. McDonald indicated the cost for a mile of concrete could climb by as much as $100,000 per mile to rebuild subgrade. Asphalt overlay can require base rebuilds as well.

“I think it’s a good direction…mainly because it takes that off your plate for a long time and you can spend your money elsewhere…If you’ve got a decent road, I’d look at putting concrete on it,” he advised.

Commission chair Charlie Henery’s reply drew chuckles, “If we’ve got a decent road, we’re probably going to leave it and go work on another road.”

Concrete roads are expected to survive about 30 years, with minimal maintenance. On the other hand, asphalt paving calls for sealing with armor coat every five or so years and an overlay every decade, according to Boggs. He figured costs to maintain gravel roads, including wages and gravel, at about $2,500 per mile annually.

“I’m all for keeping all oil (roads), but we have to come up with the money to maintain them,” he said.

McDonald cautioned some of the remedies proposed could be considered reconstruction, as opposed to maintenance, thus requiring more stringent standards, including the potential necessity for the county to purchase additional easements for shouldering and beyond.

A tentative plan was derived, with a potential price tag reaching $5.7 million, according to Dittrich. The plan would improve 36 miles of the county’s worst and most dangerous oil roads, turning about 14 miles of lower volume roads back to Sinclair dirt or gravel surfaces. Seven miles would be sealed by double armor coating the surface. Another 12 miles were earmarked for overlay. Approximately half of the roads proposed for overlay would be concrete, the other half, hot mix asphalt or recycled millings, and an additional three miles is already scheduled for hot mix asphalt.

The plan also calls for an experimental process on an approximate one-eighth mile segment of the Neligh-Pierce Road, just west of where it transitions from gravel to asphalt. The three eastern-most miles of Antelope County’s portion of the route are currently gravel, with issues maintaining gravel and rock, according to Boggs. Those three miles are targeted for Sinclair dirt. Henery suggested laying the Sinclair product atop the existing asphalt on the small segment, eliminating the grinding cost, to see if the process would be viable for more roads in the future.

More than half of the road segments discussed in the plan were recently core sampled to determine the condition of the base beneath the asphalt surface, as well as thickness of asphalt.

Dittrich passed around samples of material retrieved during core sampling, while he explained results from each of 11 sites sampled.

When asked by Henery why more roads weren’t sampled, Boggs referred to the $460 per mile cost and indicated the verdict for some problem roads had already been determined.

After hearing the projected cost and tax requirements to cover potential bond payments, estimated to increase $270 per $1 million property valuation, the commissioners opted to postpone further consideration until budget numbers are determined next month.

Henery said, “The other thing we got to think about too, is people in Clearwater have increase for school bond, people in Tilden already have school bond issue down there.”

Commissioner Regina Krebs suggested a one-year 2% levy increase approved last fall could offset part of a bond levy, along with potential bond payments from highway allocation funds.

Boggs said FEMA reimbursement from last year’s flood disaster projects could also be utilized, but the prospect was disputed by county clerk Lisa Payne, who said the funds were borrowed from the Inheritance Fund, requiring payback.

“If something goes sour and we don’t have enough money to pay the bills, we always rely on the Inheritance Fund to pay our bills, pay our employees and keep your jobs,” she warned.

Krebs commented use of the Inheritance Fund for emergencies takes the place of a budgeted reserve.

Henery added, although any FEMA reimbursements will need to be paid back to the Inheritance Fund, the funds could be reallocated for bond payments. He asked his fellow commissioners if they needed more concrete numbers before making a decision on a bond issue.

“I want to make sure how it’s going to flow into the budget,” Krebs said.

With no confirmed plan, Boggs asked for direction on spring road work. He said grinding could begin Tuesday, although remaining road department budget for this year will be tight. He was given permission to begin grinding some asphalt roads, to be left in place as a base for future road work in some cases. Work will begin on “Escritt Hill,” five miles east of Neligh on 849 Road and about three miles of 851 Road east of Clearwater. Grinding an additional portion of 858 Road, between the Brunswick and Copenhagen roads, may also begin before the leaders meet again, with product to remain in place, similar to what was done on the road previously. The 858 project is “the least expensive grinding that we have,” according to commissioner Dean Smith.

The commissioners will meet three times in June, regular meetings June 2 and 9, as well as the fiscal year-end meeting that is scheduled June 23, according to Payne.