Two highway department resolutions are expected to receive approval later this month from the Franklin County Board.
Highway Department Engineer Mike Rolla said one resolution includes a federal aid agreement between the county and IDOT, paving the way for an asphalt project on Markham Branch Road.
The $300,000 project, which is an 80/20 match, includes 1.56 miles of new asphalt on the roadway. The local match will cost the county about $70,000, Rolla estimated.
The remaining resolution considers MFT county/township rock and oil letting. Rolla said the bids will be open at 10 a.m. Feb. 16 at the county highway office.
Rolla estimated that oil bids will increase about 10 percent. Rock price estimates were not immediately available.
"We got the same amount of money, but everything got more expensive," Rolla said. "Typically, county and townships had to cut a little bit of their programs."
Rolla updated the board on the construction of the salt bin.
"Hopefully, by the end of this week, that will be completed," he said. "I think this will help us out drastically because buying salt is very expensive from year to year. If I fill the salt barn up then I don't have to get the years when it is high. It will probably take a couple of years to catch up."
Rolla reported the barn, constructed at a cost of $88,000, should hold up to 1,500 tons of salt.
During Monday's finance committee meeting, Treasurer Keith Jones reported the county has claims of $72,000 for this month, leaving the county with a cash balance of $677,000.
Jones said two health insurance payments of $86,000 each will be due next month.
"Hopefully, with the collection of the state sales tax and our final tax (real estate) distribution, we'll be alright," Jones said.
The county is still owed about $337,000 in detention center and $400,000 in probation reimbursement payments from the state, it was reported.
The county board will conduct its bi-monthly committee meeting at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 and will conduct its regular meeting at 6 p.m. the same evening.
