Lincoln County roads will soon be getting some needed attentionfollowing supervisors’ decision Monday to rent, and possibly laterbuy, a pothole patching machine.

The board approved a $3,000 a month bid, the lower of tworeceived, to rent the machine for either two or three months.

“This is the year 2000. We need it,” said District 3 SupervisorNolan Earl Williamson in making the rental motion.

District 4 Supervisor W.D. “Doug” Moak agreed.

“I think it’d be progress for the county as we move into the newmillennium,” Moak said.

County officials must seek clarification from the stateregarding related emulsion storage tank rental. For purchases up to$10,000, government entities need only get two bids.

If the approximately $1,000 a month tank rental is included withmachine rental, then the county could only rent the machine for twomonths. If the two are separate rentals, the county will rent themachine and tank for three months.

Each of the county’s five districts will have the potholepatching machine for about two weeks, supervisors decided. LincolnCounty is purchasing emulsion from Pike County for use with themachine.

Supervisors plan to advertise for bids to buy one of themachines at their next meeting. The cost is estimated at $35,000 to$39,000.

Board members said the machine will improve county roadmaintenance.

“It believe it works and holds up a lot better than just puttingasphalt in the holes,” said District 5 Supervisor Gary Walker.

In other business, Bob Allen, board attorney, gave supervisorssome estimated costs of a planned $500,000 bond issue for libraryimprovements. Bond issue funds would match a $500,000 state grantfor the library project.

With a 5.6 percent interest rate, a 10-year bond issue termwould cost approximately $67,000 a year and a total of $660,000,Allen said. At 15 years, the yearly cost would be $50,000 and thetotal payoff $752,000. A 20-year bond issue term would cost $41,000a year and a total of $855,000.

“You’re significantly decreasing your yearly payment, but you’realso significantly increasing your payoff,” Allen said.

Supervisors have expressed interest in keeping the bond issueterm as short as possible to keep the cost to the county lower. Theboard is expected to approve a bond issue resolution at the nextboard meeting.

Once a resolution is approved, citizens could ask for anelection on the plan by submitting a petition with the names of 10percent or 1,500 registered voters, whichever is less. Otherwise,the county could proceed with its plans.

Items to be addressed with the library project include a newchildren’s area, installation of an elevator, and upgrading ofentrances and other areas for handicap accessibility.

County officials are continuing to see what action can be takento curb illegal garbage dumping around a South Washington Streetbridge. Supervisors said large items are being left in the creekand that is causing some erosion under a bridge on the road.

“What they’re doing to that bridge is unconscionable,” saidTillmon Bishop, county administrator.

A six-feet high chain link fence along the creek would cost anestimated $2,600, Bishop said. An eight-feet high fence wouldprobably be over $3,000, he said.

Supervisors also discussed the possibility of stake outs orother measures in an effort to catch violators.

“We’ll do anything we can. We need to catch somebody,” saidLincoln County Sheriff Lynn Boyte, adding that any arrest needed tobe well-publicized in the effort to deter future dumping.

Boyte, though, said dumping was not limited to the WashingtonStreet area.

“It’s a problem all over the county,” Boyte said.

Also Monday, supervisors approved the county’s land rolls for2000. The six books of records have appraised values of all countyproperty.

“That’s what we will use to determine our tax base for the nextbudget year,” Moak said.

The rolls will be open for public review for 30 days if citizenshave any questions about the appraised value of their property.