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In an effort to communicate with the people of District 2, Commissioner Pearson sends out updates about issues in the District.

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Logan County Commission District 2 Updates From The Commissioner

Commissioner Pearson writes updates on the matters he believes are important to Logan County residents such as news concerning road funding or construction updates. Here are some of his past updates.

In the future, if you would like to have these updates sent to you please complete the form on the left hand side of this page.

Bid Awarded on Pine Project
May 2, 2011
On April 28, 2011, the Logan County Board of Commissioners awarded a $90,525 bid to Atlas Paving to lay 2 ½ inches of asphalt on Pine St. from Charter Oak Rd. to Simpson Rd. A REAP grant will fund $50,000 of the project amount and District 2 will provide the remainder. Atlas Paving set a date of May 9 for beginning the asphalt work. Weather, of course, is always a factor. In July, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will be letting bids for pavement markings on portions of Douglas and Pine and will include this portion of Pine. This safety enhancement will benefit the high number of motorists who travel the roadway.

Concerning other road projects in District 2, work has begun on a 1/3 mile paving project on Charter Oak west from Post Rd. The developer of Charter Oak Hills has offered to pay for the asphalt. The county will do the road preparation by reshaping ditches, rebuilding the roadway, re-establishing the base and laying asphalt. This project should be completed sometime this summer.

Both Westminster and Anderson roads from Waterloo to 1/2 mile north of Charter Oak are in serious need of repair requiring from 100 to 150 tons of asphalt per mile just for potholing. Currently, the monthly income of the district is simply incapable of funding this. We do feel that proper funding for these roads will be obtained within several years for new asphalt. As an intermediate solution, we have begun rebuilding the base for these roads at Waterloo and Westminster by reclaiming the old chip seal (mixed with asphalt patches) then compacting this and covering it with a layer of sand/silt shale. This has been quite successful as a base for asphalt on several of our roads and, as a driving surface, has had to have very little maintenance. On Anderson, a developer has offered to help cover the cost of asphalt to fill the potholes from Waterloo to Simmons. If this occurs, we will only prepare Anderson from Simmons north past Charter Oak. Two of our grader hands and our foreman will be doing this work but must at times stop to do grading. Each mile requires about five 8-hour days to grind.

We were actively in the process of applying for a Community Development Block Grant to repave Pine from Prairie Grove to Camp when we were notified by our grant writer that only one application from Logan County would be allowable. Since District 3 was also submitting an application, we have agreed to wait until next year to make our application. Sometime this fall, we plan to grind up the existing asphalt from Prairie Grove to Triplett and re-establish the road base in preparation for funding which should become available next year for new asphalt.

We are actively seeking funding for an interim solution for Midwest from Waterloo north and feel that this funding could come as soon as this year. This funding would be in addition to the permanent solution for Midwest that should be here within the next 3 or 4 years.

Another Project Finished
April 18, 2011
Final touches have been applied to 1 ½ miles of newly asphalted roads including Pine St. from Seward Rd. to Camp Rd. and Camp Rd. from Pine St. to the I-35 bridge.

This is the culmination of a long process. Beginning in Sept. 2009, the county removed trees from the right-of-way, widened the road, cut ditches and installed tinhorns. The road base was re-established through the application of approximately 3,300 tons of dirt and 3,500 tons of shale. One-half mile of the existing asphalt was ground up and the other half-mile patched.

A $275,000 Industrial Access Grant paid for the contractor, Atlas Paving Company, to lay 5 inches of asphalt on Camp and ½ mile of Pine, and 3 inches on remaining ½ mile of existing asphalt on Pine. This price also included pavement markings. On April 14, the project was finished by erecting 30 MPH speed limit and School Bus Stop Ahead signs.

This road was constructed to withstand heavy traffic and should last for years with minimal maintenance. Before and after photos are posted at http://www.commissiondistrict2.com/phpgraphy/index.php

Work is also progressing on the mile of Pine from Simpson to Charter Oak. The existing asphalt has been ground up, shale hauled in to establish the road base and tinhorns installed. Plans are to award a bid for the new asphalt on April 28.

In new developments, we have obtained $50,000 through the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Program (CIRB) for 2014. This is to cover engineering costs related to repaving Simmons from I-35 to Douglas. Though the project is a few years off, it is now positioned for funding.

We’ve also made progress on the application for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). This is a grant we are seeking in order to pave two miles of Pine from Prairie Grove to Camp. Income surveys of the residents who use this road have been completed, construction plans finalized and a required public hearing held. The date for CDBG grants to be awarded is June 30 and we believe we will score well in the competitive process. This grant would pay for about half the cost of the project, and with this financial help the work should be completed sometime in 2012.

Choctaw Road Bridge
April 8, 2011
For a couple of years, the 80 foot bridge which crosses Coon Creek on Choctaw Road, north of Waterloo, has been closed to traffic. Built in 1920, the structure had deteriorated to the point of being a hazard for traffic to cross.

Several years ago the required preliminary work was done with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for replacing the bridge. After coming into office in January, 2009, this was one of the first major projects for which I found funding. On 6/24/2010, a contract was signed with K & R Builders to construct the bridge for $521,327.90. We were able to secure 80% of that cost from the federal Bridge Replacement fund.

The new bridge is 130.5’ feet long, has a cement deck and has been completed with gravel approaches and sod landscape and rip rap on the banks.

Photos of the old bridge, as well as its replacement, are available at http://www.commissiondistrict2.com/phpgraphy/index.php

Soon I hope to release more news about other projects we are completing, and funds we are seeking for road repair needs.

Fire and Ice
Feb. 4, 2011
Robert Frost, the American poet regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life, wrote:

“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I have tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.”

Although this was a commentary on social differences, Frost obviously was an observer of the literal power of fire and ice. Within a five-day period, Logan County also got a good dose of both.

On January 29, a grass fire started near the town of Meridian and spread north, burning close to 2,200 acres. Twelve structures were destroyed, several of which were homes. Eighteen fire departments responded to the emergency, some from as far away as Cleveland County. Our road foreman, Charles Gunkel, was instrumental in creating fire breaks using District 2 equipment. Commissioner Monty Piearcy also responded with District 3 equipment.

Our sympathy goes out to everyone who suffered loss as a result of the fire and we are grateful to all the entities that fought it, preventing the loss of lives.

Early on the morning of February 2, ice, snow and frigid temperatures blanketed Logan County. Having prepared for this, we immediately responded with a sand truck and road graders to keep roads open as long as possible. However, blizzard winds caused snow drifts too large for road graders to clear, requiring us to use a dozer and a front-end loader to get some people out of their homes. The sub-zero temperatures were also a detriment in recovery efforts, causing equipment failure.

Currently the roads in District 2 have been cleared of snow enough to allow people to get out of their homes. However, it will require a lot of work and time to restore gravel roadways to the condition they were in before the storm.

Although the world didn’t end from the fire and ice, as Robert Frost’s poem suggests it might, it did require a concerted effort from several people to survive it.

The Latest Information on Projects
Jan. 21, 2011
I would like to offer an update on several road projects about which I've recently written.

At the January 19 commissioners’ meeting, we awarded a bid to Atlas Paving Company in the amount of $229,600.00 to pave Camp Rd. from I-35 to Pine St. and Pine from Camp to Seward Rd. Their estimated start date is February 15.

On December 21, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), announced the results of the Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant applications for 2011. Our application to resurface Post Rd. from SH-105 to Industrial in the amount of $100,000 was listed as an alternate project. Historically, alternate projects are at least partially funded as deobligated funds become available. However, there is another alternate project ahead of ours, so we will have to wait and see what the final result will be.

We also submitted a REAP application to repave Pine St. from Prairie Grove Rd. to Camp Rd., and requested ACOG to additionally sponsor the project for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). This grant did not rank high enough in the competitive process to receive funding, but rather than let this project drop, we are making a direct application for a CDBG grant. The application is due March 31.

On the days when weather allows, we continue to apply asphalt patching to potholes on Midwest Blvd. Our plans are to patch the four miles from Waterloo Rd. to No Name Rd. (Forrest Hills) and one mile of No Name from Midwest to Pine. As monthly funds are available, we will purchase additional asphalt for major repairs to other roadways, such as Pine, Anderson and Westminster from Waterloo north, and Charter Oak from I-35 east.

We have begun preparing Pine from Simpson to Charter Oak for repaving. Utility lines have been marked in preparation for removing trees from the right-of-way. Tree removal begins the last week of January.

The bid for pavement markings on Seward from 1-35 to Douglas, on Douglas from Seward to Forrest Hills and on Forrest Hills from Douglas to Westminster was awarded to Action Safety Supply Company. At a pre-work meeting, Action indicated they were ready to begin the project when the weather is warm enough.

The new 130.5’ bridge on Choctaw Rd. just north of Waterloo is nearing completion. The contract company is working to have it open by the end of January or early February. At this time, the cement pad on the bridge is curing. Rock and dirt are being hauled in for building the approaches.

Work has started on Charter Oak, east of Douglas, to extend the asphalt paving another ¼ mile toward Post Rd. The cost of the asphalt will be contributed by Charter Oak Hills Addition developer, Dan Meinders.

If you have questions about any of these projects, you are welcome to give me a call at 650-0384. I appreciate your input as we work to make the best use of available resources and to improve District 2 infrastructure.

How Grants are Obtained
Aug. 3, 2010
The last update we sent out listed some of the grants District 2 obtained for paving roads. Responses to that update included not only positive comments, but questions about why other roads were not scheduled for paving.

To qualify for grant funding, roads have to meet certain criteria. It would be great to be able to pick the roads which need repair the worst and apply for money, but that is not always how the system works.

Some of the more common factors essential in obtaining grants are:
*Road count
*Population of the area
*Federal functional classification
*The Oklahoma City Area Regional Transportation Study (OCARTS)

Some of the key factors in preparing roads and bridges for funding are:
*Putting it on the county’s five-year plan
*Getting the project engineered
*Getting Oklahoma Department of Transportation clearances

One of the secrets to being successful in getting projects funded is to have them “shovel ready” so that when the right funding becomes available, it can be applied for. This was the process which Commissioner Pearson followed in getting 4 miles of Douglas funded from Waterloo to Forrest Hills; 4 miles of Midwest from Waterloo to No Name and the 1 mile of No Name from Midwest to Pine.

Engineering plans have just been completed for repaving Pine from Waterloo to Simpson. A Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant contract was signed July 30, 2010 for partial funding of 2” of asphalt on Pine from Charter Oak to Simpson. If there are no delays, this should be completed this fall. By having engineering plans in hand, Pearson will be looking for a grant to fund 5” of asphalt the full 3 miles from Waterloo to Simpson.

In the spring, Pearson submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration to reclassify Charter Oak from Pine to Westminster, and Westminster from Charter Oak to Waterloo, as a major collector road. Indications are that this request will be approved. After that, Pearson will have the road engineered, furthering the process of preparing it to qualify for funding.

Getting money for roads is a competitive process and the resources are not large enough to meet the needs. Even when a grant has been awarded, it can take as long as 5 years to see a project through to completion. This requires patience, but each step completed in the process moves us closer to tangible improvements. Considering all of these factors, Pearson has been very successful in starting the flow of money towards District 2, something that has been needed for a very long time!

Maintenance and Project Update
July 26, 2010
The weather is enabling District 2 to catch up on routine maintenance and to prepare for some special road projects. Roads are getting graded, tin horns are being installed, shale has been hauled to roads which were washed out in the June 14th rainstorm, and we are mowing right-of-way. Also, as a safety precaution, the headwall of the bridge on Peebly, south of Triplett, is undergoing replacement.

Besides these routine tasks, major road projects are being pushed forward. The road surface of Midwest from SH 105 to University has been ground up, graded and compacted in preparation for two layers of chip seal. Funding will be in place within several weeks to go out to bid for the project.

Tree removal from the right-of-way on Pine, from Seward to Camp, and on Camp, from Pine to I-35, is almost completed. This has been done in preparation for repaving one and one-half miles with 5 inches of asphalt. Due to the amount of material required to build up the road base, it will be several more months before this goes out to bid.

More tree removal will be done along Pine from Charter Oak to Simpson. If conditions cooperate, Commissioner Pearson hopes to regrind this road, re-establish the base and go out to bid for a 2” lift of asphalt sometime this fall.

All of the environmental and right-of-way clearances from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation have been obtained for new pavement markings on Seward from I-35 to Douglas, Douglas to Forrest Hills, and Forrest Hills to Westminster. This project is being funded by the Surface Transportation Program Urbanized Area (STP-UZA). The funding was originally scheduled for 2011, but there are indications it may be moved up to 2010. Commissioner Pearson is hoping that Highway Income to the county will be substantial enough over the next couple of months to be able to finance crack-sealing this stretch of road before striping is applied.

With the safety of citizens in mind, last year Commissioner Pearson applied for a Rural Economic Action Program (REAP) grant to purchase two early warning sirens. In January of this year, he was notified that his request had been approved. As soon as the grant contracts are finalized, the county can go out to bid for the equipment and installation costs. One siren will be placed at the intersection of Douglas and Charter Oak and the other at the corner of Midwest and Camp. The sirens will be connected to a computer operated by Logan County Emergency Manager, David Ball.

As previously announced, funding has been obtained to repave Midwest from Waterloo to No Name, No Name from Midwest to Pine, and Douglas from Waterloo to Forrest Hills. This funding is on a five year plan, but there is hope that it can be expedited.

If you have questions or would like to discuss any of these projects with Commissioner Pearson, feel free to call him on his cell phone at 650-0384.

District 2 News Update
March 29, 2010
The past winter and beginning of spring haven’t been kind to Logan County. Weather.com lists last winter’s 10 worst weather locations in the nation and Oklahoma City ranked fifth. That is quite a distinction when you consider it is in competition with the northeastern part of the country.

Last week the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the Dec. 24 blizzard a major disaster for Logan County. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management held an applicant briefing in Wayne, OK on March 4, which representatives from Logan County attended. On March 31, FEMA will conduct a kickoff meeting to assess Logan County’s specific damages. District 2 has documented 59 road sites which were damaged in the Dec. 24 blizzard. Commissioner Pearson will pursue this FEMA funding in order to repair damages and supplement the district’s monthly income.

Due to the poor economy, the county’s monthly highway cash income, which finances road maintenance, continues to fall well below previous years. The average monthly income of what the county has received this year is 77.02% of the average it received in 2006. The average monthly maintenance and operations funding for 2010 in District 2 has been $21,023. This is 43.19% of the average received in 2006.

District 2’s allocation available for maintenance and operations for March was $17, 698. A major portion of this was used to buy fuel so road graders and other equipment can continue to operate. The cost of fuel in March was $14,467. This left a minimal amount for utility bills, equipment repair, tires and road materials.

Despite the monetary challenges, work continues as we repair bridges, improve drainage and provide roadway maintenance.

Plans are in place to pour the concrete decking on two new bridges next week. These are located on CR 76 east of Indian Meridian and on Peebly south of Simmons. The bridges are partially funded by FEMA from the 2007 storms and should be open for traffic the first part of April.

With the roads drying from the latest rains, graders are again back out smoothing roadways and the asphalt crew is repairing potholes.

Extraordinary Times
Oct. 30, 2009
According to mesonet.org, the record for the most rainfall since 1921 for the months of Aug., Sept. and Oct. in central Oklahoma was 20.76 inches in 1923. From July 28-Oct. 27 some of our area was drenched by 19.9 inches of rain. This has caused much havoc for our county roads. We have done what we could to keep the rain flowing off of the roads, but at times it seemed like a losing battle.

Thankfully the weather forecasters are predicting sunshine for the next several days. This will give us a chance to get all of our graders back on the roads repairing the damage. We have arranged for some grading to be done over this weekend.

While the rainfall has been up, funding for Logan County has been down. Statistics show that this year’s income since February has been less than anytime over the last four years. The Maintenance and Operation fund income for some months of this year has been less than half of what it was four years ago, and we are expecting November and December to be slim months. (We have posted financial graphs on our website at: commissiondistrict2.com as a District 2 Special Report.) We want you to know that this lack of funding will not decrease our maintenance of county roads. Our priority will be to have graders on dirt roads and eroding asphalt roads repaired.

I want to encourage everyone to stay in touch with us as we work our way out of these extraordinarily difficult times.

Road Conditions
Oct. 13, 2009
The rainy weather of the last several months has caused serious damage to county roads. There have only been a few days dry enough for grading roads, so we have been bringing in gravel from the rock pit near Cushing and hauling it to those areas most affected by the rain in order to keep them passable.

The rain has also accelerated the pothole problem. Winter will soon be here which will further erode asphalt roads. So as much as the rainy weather is allowing we are focusing on repairing the potholes and preparing the roads for winter. The smaller potholes will be filled with cold-patch asphalt and the larger ones with reground asphalt.

Reminder: State Representative Jason Murphey is bringing a town hall meeting to Logan Co., District 2. The forum will be held at the Woodcrest Fire Department, 11975 S. Douglas, on October 27, 7:00 p.m. I have been invited to attend and speak about current and future county issues. I hope to see you there.