Lyon County is ready to move forward and solicit bids for Americans With Disabilities Act projects at the Road and Bridge Department and the Flint Hills Community Health Center to bring the buildings up to ADA compliance.
“We think we have the necessary ingredients to move forward to publish and let to bid,” said Mark McKenna, of Lyon County facilities management.
McKenna spoke with Lyon County commissioners during Wednesday morning’s study session.
The projects, which will be let to bid together, will bring bathrooms in both buildings up to ADA compliance.
In a separate matter, McKenna told commissioners the county could save $1,500 by agreeing to allow George Groh and Sons to complete the second phase of the roofing at the Lyon County Extension Office, across from the Lyon County Fairgrounds. The project initially was going to be completed next year, but the company has the materials to complete the job now and offered the county a monetary incentive.
“It’s not often we get the chance to save money,” McKenna said. “Unfortunately this is one of those situations where you have to spend money to save money.”
In other business, commissioners discussed reducing road grader routes in Lyon County in an effort to save money. There is some debate as to whether this effort will save money or cost more in fuel for the graders to run longer routes.
“It would increase fuel usage,” Lyon County Engineer Chip Woods said. “I don’t think it’s going to save us as much money as it’s going to cost us ... it will be a challenge, depending on where the new boundaries are.”
Still, commissioners Marshall Miller and Bob Davis want to try reducing routes.
“I’d like to try it a while and see what happens,” Davis said.
Woods said the grader operators have expressed concerns about this change.
“They are concerned about the amount of time it is going to take in case of snow and rain,” Woods said. “We seem to be having a lot of rain events.”