Commissioners start process toward getting bids for three paving projects

YORK – With the possibility of using ARPA (federal COVID relief) funds, they have started the process toward getting bids for three paving projects in York County.

​As explained by York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier, the funds have to be committed, with projects under bid or contract, by the end of this calendar year.
“We talked about using ARPA money for three blacktop projects,” Obermier reminded his fellow commissioners. “One is in front of the county shop. The second is from the Country Club to the Highway 81 bypass. The third is on Road G from the railroad tracks to Highway 34 by Klute Steel.”
“On Road G, with their major expansion, heavy traffic will be moving through there and that road will need some work,” said York County Highway Superintendent Harvey Keim.
“Klutes have put in a huge investment in York County and I think we should make sure that blacktop  there holds up for use,” Obermier said.
Keim said he would be talking to the City of York about who is responsible for which areas of the road by the county shop and the fairgrounds as well.
Keim was asked what he thought the projects would cost. He said just a raw estimate, “really a guess at this point,” would be about $250,000 per project.
Obermier acknowledged how two weeks ago, they had talked about using ARPA funds to install a fire sprinkler system in the jail. But since then, he’s been told by possible contractors it would be too much of a task to get it under bid by the end of the year.
“I still want to pursue the fire sprinkler project in the jail,” Obermier said, “but it doesn’t look like it can be under bid by the end of the year so we can’t use ARPA funds for that project. So that said, there will be about $500,000-$600,000 in ARPA funds available for these paving projects.”
It was noted the county will have about $200,000 available in federal buy-back funds, which could also be used for the three paving projects.
“Again, the estimate I’m putting out there is really just a guess at this point,” Keim reiterated.
“What we are acting on today is just getting the ball rolling, to figure out the projects and get bids,” Obermier told the county board members. “Putting the ARPA money toward infrastructure seems to be a wise move. But again, this is just to get Harvey started and moving forward on these projects so we can get these projects under bid by the end of the year, if we decide to move forward.”
“And yes, Harvey, I think seeing where we are at with working with the city on that piece by the county shop and fairgrounds is a good idea,” said Commissioner Daniel Grotz.
The commissioners voted in favor of having Keim go out for bids on the paving projects.