Supervisors reject lone bid to repair flood-damaged Dug Road

by Bob Beach

During the regular meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors Monday, September 30, Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour recommended that the Board reject Skyline Construction's bid for the repair of flood damage to Dug Road northeast of Waukon. Ridenour noted that Skyline's bid, the only bid received for the project, exceeded his cost estimate for the project by 14.6%, and that while 75% of the project would be reimbursed by FEMA, that reimbursement would not be immediate nor even guaranteed with the threat of a federal government shutdown.
He added that Skyline had offered financing options, but that he would like to stick with the County's policy of paying contractors within 30 days of project completion. He said that the Secondary Roads Department could complete enough of the project this fall to re-open the road and that bids could be taken for the remaining work in the spring. The Board accepted Ridenour's recommendation and voted unanimously to reject Skyline's bid for the project.
Ridenour also reported that the union has tentatively agreed to the Board's offer to settle a grievance by paying two hours of overtime and six hours of regular time (to be worked by the Board members themselves) to the Secondary Roads employee who was not called in to work overtime when he contends that he should have been. Ridenour said that attorney Rick Zahasky is working on the paperwork to formalize the settlement agreement.
The Board also met with Marcia Rush, representing the County Historic Preservation Commission, who asked the Board to consider having Makee Manor and the County Farm added to the National Registry of Historic Places. She said that the site is definitely eligible to be listed on the registry and that the property owners (either the County or any potential buyer) would benefit from up to 45% grant funding for renovations.
She said that whatever happens to the property, its history should be preserved, adding that the process to add the property to the registry would take at least a year and a half. The Board agreed to authorize the Historic Preservation Commission to proceed with listing the County Farm on the National Historic Registry.
Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer reported that it has been eight years since the County updated its personnel policy handbook and that the handbook should be updated every five years or so. The Board directed Beyer to consult with attorney Rick Zahasky about how to proceed with the update process. Beyer also reported that the local option sales tax in the County is due to expire in 2014 and said that the Board would need to determine if it would like to continue to have a "sunset date" on the tax and how the money collected from the tax should be distributed. After some discussion, the Board tabled taking any action on the tax.
In other business, the Board approved a change in zoning from A-1 (agricultural) to R-2 (low-density residential) for Paint Creek Cabins by approving the first reading of an ordinance to make the change, waiving the second and third readings and then passing the ordinance. The Board accepted the high bid of $3,005 received from Janice Pitzer of Prairie du Chien, WI for a 2006 Ford Explorer offered for sale by the Sheriff's Department.