Allen County Commissioners had a difference of opinion Tuesday morning as to how Humboldt’s main thoroughfare is to be maintained.
According to Jerry Daniels, an expected increase of traffic from Monarch trucks warrants significant road upgrades.
And while other commissioners agreed upkeep is necessary, they maintained the standard procedure of chip-seal is all they are willing to provide.
The whole of Ninth Street as well as Bridge Street extending to the city’s west limits are the county’s responsibility because of their connecting route status.
In the past, county crews sealed the streets periodically with hot oil and fine limestone. That ceased several years ago, apparently because of a disagreement by Humboldt leaders with the process. At the last Humboldt Council meeting, members said they were reluctant to approve chip-and-seal on Bridge Street because it is near the top of curbs. Adding to the surface, they reasoned, would cause rainwater run-off problems and the dust from ground limestone also is a nuisance.
The preference is to have both streets milled and overlaid with asphalt, a much more expensive procedure.
Mitch Garner, director of Public Works, informed commissioners the county just does chip-seal on county roads.
From which Commissioner Tom Williams drew the conclusion, “It’s our road and we’ll maintain it like we do every other road.”
Daniels, however, said when the commission approved Monarch Cement’s dirt mining operation north of town, with it came the responsibility for additional road maintenance.
If asphalt is the answer, Daniels continued, “we need to look at it.”
Garner told commissioners it might cost as much as $2 million to mill and overlay the 2½ miles of Ninth and Bridge streets.
IN OTHER business, commissioners learned the county’s property and liability insurance premiums, through EMC and serviced by Personal Service Insurace, would be about $2,000 higher for next year, at $139,440. PSI’s Loren Korte said $1,000 of the increase was for new equipment and $921 for cyber insurance, which would deal with hacking and data compromise issues.
