Commission Board Meeting on Wed, March 26, 2003 - 6:35 PM


Meeting Information

  • Convene
  • Pledge of Allegiance

CONSENT AGENDA
 (1) Consider approval of Commission Orders

REGULAR AGENDA
 (2) Consider request from the City of Eudora to share in cost of engineering study

 (3) Consider approval of Five-Year Plan Project Listing for Federally Assisted Projects (Keith Browning)

 (4) Other Business
  (a) Consider approval of Accounts Payable (if necessary)
  (b) Appointments
  (c) Miscellaneous
  (d) Public Comment 

 (5) Adjourn

Chairman Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M. on Wednesday, March 26, 2003. All members were present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

CONSENT AGENDA 03-26-03
Jones moved approval of the following Consent Agenda:

  • Note receipt of fee reports for the month of February 2003.

McElhaney seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

MISCELLANEOUS 03-26-03
The Board considered a request from the City of Eudora to share in the cost of an improvement study for County Route 1061 from 14th & Church Streets south to 28th Street. Ron Conner, Mayor of the City of Eudora, was present for the discussion. When the County Commission met jointly with the Eudora City Council earlier in the year, the pending impacts on County Road 1061 and the bridge crossing K-10 Highway by planned development south of K-10 was discussed. Conner noted that from 14th Street in Eudora south to 28th Street, the roadway - also referred to as Church Street - has experienced higher demand of vehicle use due to residential growth in the Meadowlark and Shadow Ridge subdivisions, use of the Eudora High School and traffic from south Douglas County using County Route 1061 to access K-10 Highway. An even greater use of the road is anticipated with planned residential subdivision expansion, the opening of a new high school and the transfer of local middle school activities to the vacated high school. Conner stated that the City of Eudora is authorizing an engineering study to review projected traffic and pedestrian pattens and for the development of conceptual designs and cost estimates for recommended future improvements of County Route 1061 from 14th & Church south to 28th Street. The information will be critical for future planning of improvements that involve the roadway, K-10 Highway bridge and intersections to support increased traffic and safe pedestrian measures. The engineering study will cost a not-to-exceed amount of $6,500 and will be conducted by the City's engineering firm, BG Consultants, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. Johnson made a motion that Douglas County participate in the study to the extent of fifty percent (50%), not to exceed $3,250, and that Keith Browning, Director of Public Works/County Engineer, be an active participant representing the County. Motion was seconded by McElhaney and carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS 03-26-03
The Board discussed the Five-Year Plan Project List for Federally Assisted Projects. Keith Browning, Director of Public Works/County Engineer, was present for the discussion. Browning noted that the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) annually requests that counties update the projects included in the county portion of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) These are projects for which the county wishes to use federal funding assistance (typically 80% federal, 20% local) in an amount not to exceed the obligation authority for each county. The projects currently on Douglas County's list are as follows:

(1) Route 442 from E 318 Road to Route 1029 - spot location grading for improved sight distance, addition of shoulders, flattening frontslopes, extending or replacing culverts, and construction of one bridge.
(2) Route 1029 from Route 438 to Lecompton - Similar scopes to Project (1) without the bridge construction. Includes reconfiguration of Route 1029/Route 438 intersection to a curved alignment.
(3) Route 438 from Route 1029 east 21/2 miles to K-10 intersection - total reconstruction of approximately two (2) miles and adding shoulders, flattening frontslopes, extending or replacing culverts in the remaining 1/2 mile.

Browning gave a brief overview of the projects' progress. Browning then ex plained that the first two projects in the 5-Year Plan are firm and cannot be revised. Since Project (3) is not scheduled for a bid letting in the next two years, it is possible to replace it with another project or insert another project as our #3 priority. Of course, the total amount of available obligation authority is firm. Inserting another project as the #3 priority will reduce even further the amount of federal funds available for the Route 438 project or will require further delaying in the project to allow a build-up of federal aid obligation authority.

Browning noted a possible project that could be inserted as the #3 priority is the replacement of Bridge No. 09.24N-16.00E, located on Route 1055 approximately 3/4 mile south of Route 458 (just north of the Gun Club). This project was added to the five-year plan as Project (4) two years ago, but was dropped from the plan last year by KDOT due to anticipated costs for the Route 438 project. The deck of this bridge is in poor condition, and the bridge is posted for a 10-ton load limit. Route 1055 is a significant link between Baldwin City and Lawrence, and the presence of the load posted bridge affects the movement of goods and services between the two cities.

Browning also noted another project that must be undertaken in the next few years is a full deck replacement for the Kansas River Bridge at Lecompton. This deck has been patched numerous times, and a recent inspection revealed further delaminated areas. The steel superstructure and concrete substructure are in good condition. The proposed project would be similar to the deck replacement project for the Kansas River Bridge at Eudora completed a few years ago. The project would entail removing the deck, installing welded stud anchors to the top flanges of the steel girders, removing existing lead-based paint, repainting the superstructure, and constructing a new, wider concrete deck. The big difference from the Eudora bridge project is that the Perry/Lecompton school district crosses this bridge daily and the project may require construction under traffic. This will increase both the construction time required and the cost of the project. In 2002 dollars, the estimated cost of the Lecompton bridge deck replacement project is $2,831,000, which includes a 10% contingency. This bridge is situated on the Jefferson County line, so an agreement with Jefferson County would be pursued to share local costs. A typical method of sharing costs is to apportion cost shares according to the assessed valuation of each county. Given current valuations, Douglas County would be responsible for 88.15% of the total local costs.

Browning then recommended that the Board approve the current Five-Year Plan as is.

Johnson asked for public comment. No comments were received. McElhaney made a motion to approve the Five-Year Plan Project Listing for Federally Assisted Projects with the substitution of Project (3) with the replacement of Bridge No. 09.24N-16.00E, located on Route 1055 approximately 3/4 mile south of Route 458 (just north of the Gun Club). Motion was seconded by Jones and carried unanimously.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE 03-26-03
Jones moved approval of accounts payable manual checks in the amount of $110,682.52; Johnson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

APPOINTMENTS 03-26-03
Johnson made a motion to appoint Donna Bell, 524 Brentwood Drive, Lawrence, KS, to the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Board. It should be noted that this appointment is a joint appointment with the City of Lawrence which term shall expire March 31, 2006. Motion was seconded by Jones and carried unanimously.

PROCLAMATION 03-26-03
Johnson read a Proclamation expressing appreciation to all the volunteers in their efforts to assure that the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (L.I.N.K.) will continue to meet its mission. Jones made a motion to adopt the Proclamation as read; McElhaney seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

 Jones moved for adjournment; McElhaney seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

_______________ ____________________
Bob Johnson, Chair  Jere McElhaney, Member

ATTEST:

_____________________ __________________
Patty Jaimes, County Clerk  Charles Jones, Member

Location

County Courthouse
1100 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA