Park seeks help with roadwork

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Supervisors are considering a request from Lake Lincoln StatePark officials to assist with some road repairs at the park innortheast Lincoln County.

“Our roads going into the park are in need of attention,” LakeLincoln Manager Jonathan Williams said during Monday’s county boardmeeting.

Williams told supervisors the state park was not expecting anyassistance from state bond plans. He did not have a dollar amountfor the requested patching help.

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“We have some areas where the road is down totally to the claygravel,” said Williams, adding that park visitors have noticed thepoor road conditions. “We are getting some complaints on theroads.”

County officials were unsure if they would be able to help withthe road repairs. Supervisors asked board attorney Bob Allen tolook into the 1995 agreement in which the lake property wastransferred to the state for use as a state park.

Williams said the county had some done minor repairs on roads inthe park.

District Two Supervisor Bobby J. Watts, whose district includesthe park, acknowledged some work being done. He said he had usedthe pothole patcher but indicated that would be insufficientnow.

“It has spots as big as this table,” Watts said. “I don’t thinkthat’s what it needs.”

Later in the meeting, supervisors questioned whether the statehad other funds available to cover the road work. State Aid RoadEngineer Marty Hilton was unsure how much state parks had beenimpacted by this year’s tight budget situation.

“If y’all are responsible for those roads, I wouldn’t volunteerto jump in there and take it,” Hilton said.

In other business Monday, consultant Woody Sample spoke to theboard about plans to use almost $500,000 in federal funds forrepairs to the government complex’s roof and air conditioningsystem and other general maintenance.

Sample said an environmental assessment on the project had beencompleted and had determined it would have no negative impact.

Because the city is the actual recipient of the grant, aninterlocal agreement between the city and county was needed toallow the county to oversee fund expenditures. Sample said he isawaiting attorney general’s office approval of that agreement.

Sample said it is possible the project could be advertised forbids in late October.

Citing an architect’s estimates, replacing the complex’s rooflike it is would be around $165,000 while installing a pitched roofwould cost approximately $300,000, Sample said.

Sample said the roof was the top priority for the funds, withthe air condition second and then other repairs. CountyAdministrator David Fields said supervisors would look at roof andother project estimates and decide how to proceed.

“The board will look at the costs of all of these and a make adetermination,” Fields said.