County mulls leasing graders

Quorum Court to consider Road Department proposal March 23

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County’s Road Department plans to lease eight graders and replace equipment that breaks down and delays road projects. “It’s a better use of our money,” said Justice of the Peace Daniel Balls, a Democrat who represents southern Fayetteville. The department plans to spend about $1,285 per month for three years for eight graders, said Carl Gales, chief of staff for the county judge. The amount — about $123,360 per year total — was the lowest bid, Gales said. The new equipment from Caterpillar could arrive in the next 90 days, Superintendent Charles Ward said. Gales presented the lease to justices of the peace during the Finance and Budget Committee on Tuesday. The lease next will be considered during the Quorum Court meeting at 6 p.m. March 23. Part of the lease includes repairing or replacing within two days a grader breaking down, Gales said. “That way we don’t lose good time, ”said Justice of the Peace Butch Pond, a Republican representing eastern Washington County. The normal time it takes to fix the equipment is five to seven days, Gales said. The downtime delays projects, officials said. The department didn’t use more than $1 million of its 2016 budget partly because of project delays resulting from equipment failures, Ward said. Those problems should be alleviated by the new graders, Balls said. Leasing the equipment may also be cheaper, justices of the peace said. Justice of the Peace Bill Ussery, a Republican representing

northeastern Springdale, asked Gales to bring the Quorum Court numbers showing how much money has been spent repairing its graders.

The department has 20 graders — 14 of which grade about 40 miles of road each year, said Brad Phillips, assistant superintendent. The new graders will replace eight older ones, which will be sold, Gales said.

The number of graders at the Road Department won’t expand this year, but Gales plans to replace graders with leased ones as they become worn, he said. Until then, Gales said he wants to use the older graders as long as possible.

“I don’t want to do it just to see a new grader out there,” Gales said. “I want to get the maximum use out of it.”

In other news, the Quorum Court held a special meeting to approve a grant for improvements on Sugar Mountain Road near West Fork.

The Arkansas Unpaved Roads Grant Program could help pay for redesigning and stabilizing the road bed on about half a mile of the road, according to the grant proposal approved Monday. The work will help reduce sediment flowing into the West Fork of the White River, justices of the peace said.