Commissioners Hope Rough Roads With REX Smoothing Out

Elizabeth Bailey

When the Decatur County Commissioners gathered for their regular bi-monthly meeting, Monday, the county remained in negotiations with the Rockies Express Pipeline (REX) on the topic of road repairs.

Although a road usage agreement was signed at the start of the process of laying pipe through the county that said REX would repair any damage to local roads, the two entities have yet to agree upon the extent of the damage and the cost of repairing it, Highway Superintendent Mark Mohr explained.

The commissioners believe an agreement upon a figure will be reached soon. However, they explained, REX must have documentation to support the funds it outlays for repairs, hence the extensive process of determining the damage and potential cost.

Decatur County, they noted, is likely to come out of this project in much better condition than Franklin County, where their road usage agreement was supported by a $2 million bond, they have been offered $2.6 million and the actual cost of repairs is estimated at $5 million, according to Mohr.

Although negotiations with REX have taken quite a bit of time, the highway department, Mohr noted, is also in the process of various shoulder repairs throughout the county. In addition, progress is continuing for Bridge 19, which is due for letting next year.

Considerations for Lake McCoy are also underway. Rather than continuing to rebuild a bridge that is regularly destroyed by high water, the county is considering other options, such as creating a cul-du-sac so that school buses can turn around rather than having two separate access roads to the area. Plans for this are in their formative stage, but the county will be working to find the best solution to the problem.

Greensburg Mayor Gary Herbert also informed the commissioners of the impending renovation of Vandalia Road, scheduled to take place next year. He noted that the road will be widened up to the bridge and could be widened further if the county can step in to broaden the bridge.

Although septic system installation has been nearly impossible this season due to large amounts of rain, residents in Sardinia are continuing to figure out ways to solve the problem of ailing or improper systems. Carl Manlief came to the commissioners on behalf of Sardinia Baptist Church, whose parsonage does not sit on enough ground to accommodate a finger system. Manlief is in the process of securing easements in order to enable compliance with the state mandate that septic systems must be replaced or repaired in the unincorporated town.

“The county has made a commitment to get this done,” Commissioners President Jerome Buening said, “and we will help wherever we can.”

In other business, the commissioners will be asking for a proposal from the Fair Board in order to better document who is responsible for what aspects of operating the fairgrounds.

The next meeting of the commissioners will take place at 8 a.m. on Oct. 19 in room 106 of the courthouse.

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