My position: Communicate the condition of all roads and bridges along with the plan and budget for repairs, replacements, and paving. This is supported by maintaining awareness of the status of equipment, including scheduled maintenance and replacement needs. Provide the support needed for staffing, funding, and contract support. Communicate the status on the scheduled dates/times of closures/re-openings. Support the engagement with Purdue’s LTEP program and advisor to reinforce and support the good work being done by high department personnel and consideration of best practices from other counties. Provide an annual report to the citizens on accomplishments and improvement plans. Website – Purdue/ Local Technical Assistant Program (LTEP) and leverage the capabilities of the county GIS system.
June 13, 2024 Meeting. Management and Planning – Roads and Bridges
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- Handout: PASER RATINGS FOR ROADS : GOOD (8-10), FAIR (5-7), POOR (1-4).
RDC – Roads and Bridges. Bill Cayne of the Redevelopment Commissioner (RDC) coordinated a meeting with the new Highway Superinten8-10dent, Alec Burton, an advisor from Purdue’s LTEP program (Pat Connor). Additional attendees included: Council members Gary Huett, Jim Kemp, Commissioner Candidate Kevin Patrick (District 1), and Tim Clark (Commissioner Candidate District 3 and (RDC member).
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- At RDC meetings, Bill expressed interest in county road conditions and I shared my information on past practices and available information that included the road inventory and status, links to the Purdue LTEP program, and available reports.
Infrastructure and RDC. The availability and condition of infrastructure including Roads and Bridges, is a critical aspect of redevelopment.
Bill has a strong interest in road improvement, which started our discussions on the process. Commissioners appoint the highway superintendent and have overall responsibility for the operation and safety of roads and bridges. Historically, the commissioner’s focus was limited to road paving and status on response to weather-related issues – flooding, storms, and snow removal. We typically receive an extra million a year (1.5 this year) from the Community Crossing Grant for new paving. The highway superintendent provided an update on status at every commissioner meeting.
Key Issues. Paving is just one aspect of the overall operations. Key issues include the status of equipment and maintenance, the placement and installation of signs, and the standard for maintaining the engineering standards for roads and bridges. The county is required (and receives funding) to develop a bridge plan that identifies the consequences and identifies funding requirements.
Additional Information
Facebook: Brown County Matters. For “years,” I have routinely communicated the information provided by the Highway Superintendent at Commissioner meetings.
