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Last updated on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Commissioners approved the bid for CLR to do the renovations at the Williams Covered Bridge.
The county received three bids for the project and all were relatively close according to Highway Project Supervisor Bob Dillon. Seal R bid was $413,408.60.
Repairs will be made to roof, trusses, and all the siding will be replaced and painted.
"This is not a firm lump sum," Dillon warned. "It could cost less or a little more. But everyone will try to stay in that amount. With projects like these you never know what you will find. It's kind of like remodeling an old house, you start remodeling and then you find other problems and then other times things go smoothly."
Dillon also asked the commissioners to consider dropping the repairs on bridge No. 150 on Mill Creek Road. The request came after Dillon say the county could receive more federal funding if they drop the project for this year and reapply next.
"The bridge does need repaired, but it is not something that can't wait," he said. "The bridge is considered a historical bridge and that adds red-tape when doing repairs. The repairs could cost more than $1.4 million dollars and if we can wait, I am almost sure we can get funding for the project, costing the taxpayers less money."
Mitchell resident Ron Pridemore asked the commissioners to take a look at the bridge before making the decision. He was concerned about safety issues and the guard rails on the bridge. Dillon and Commissioner Bill Spreen agreed and Dillon said he would have a crew go out and make repairs to the rails.
In other business:
* The commissioners gave their approval for the Virgil I. Grissom Municipal Airport board to ask the county council for an additional appropriation of $40,000 to repair cracks in runway 1331.
Bill Daggy told the commissioners the repairs were state-mandated and if not done the runway would be closed to air traffic.
"We are just trying now to keep it at a safe standard until we can get funding to repave the runway," Daggy said. "We don't want it to come down to possibly having damage done to a plane, life or limb."
Commissioner Dave Flinn told fellow commissioners that the county should help with the funding, because the airport is a "wonderful asset to the community."
* Sam Shaw addressed the commissioners by reading a written statement. First he addressing Times-Mail reporter Bob Bridge and the Times-Mails about their failure to report the news.
He then addressed the commissioners about his no trespass notifications at the Bedford North Lawrence schools and the Bedford Public Library.
Spreen explained, Shaw was allowed to attend school board meetings and after school activities.
Spreen added the no trespass notification was filed because Shaw was disturbing school staff during business hours hampering their work.
However, Shaw disagreed and a heated debate began
He then verbally attacked Commissioner Dave Flinn saying he was not allowed to address Flinn about political issues because Flinn was on the library board and his brother Brad Flinn serves on the school board.
Shaw is running against Dave Flinn for the commissioner's seat.
Shaw started to become loud and that is when Commissioner President Chris May asked Shaw if he had an issued the commissioners could address and that is when Shaw began singing "America The Beautiful."
* Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig presented the commissioners with a year report from the jail.
He also reported that he had addressed the problem reported by Larry Brown. Brown complained to the commissioners at their last meeting that his neighbor in Leatherwood Circle was allowing trash to accumulate along the roadway. After listening to Brown's description of the debris, Spreen said he's heard a few similar complaints regarding neighborhood trash. Craig said he talked to the property owner and the owner had cleaned up the property.
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