County approves federal-aid swap funding for two bridges on F48

Two bridges in need of replacement or rehabilitation along Jasper County Highway F48 were approved for Federal-Aid Swap funding by the board of supervisors Tuesday.

Russ Stutt, county engineer, approached the board with the project funding agreement between Jasper County and the Iowa Department of Transportation through the Federal-Aid Swap County Highway Bridge Program. Separate estimates were given to each bridge.

The bridge over Prairie Creek, close to Highway S52, is estimated to cost $540,000; the bridge over Cherry Creek, close to Westwood Golf Course near Newton, is estimated to cost $796,000.

Heavy-loaded vehicles are not permitted to cross these bridges, as prompted by the accompanying weight limit signs posted near the structures. Stutt said the bridge near Cherry Creek, in particular, is in need of total replacement.

“It’s in bad shape,” Stutt said to board members Tuesday.

Replacement and rehabilitation of the two bridges are important, Stutt said, as F48 serves as an emergency route for Interstate 80.

“Obviously, now we can’t take semis or heavy loads across this bridge so they’re having to use other routes,” he said.

According to the agreement between the two parties, the eligible project construction limits would include the bridges themselves plus grading and paving to reach a “touchdown point” to be determined by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Also, 100 percent of the eligible construction project costs will be paid from Federal-Aid Swap County Highway Bridge Program funds. The county will pay all non-eligible project costs and costs not reimbursed with Federal-Aid Swap County Highway Bridge Program funds.

If construction were to begin, Stutt said the county would mark a detour route for F48 traffic through S52 to F36 and then down Highway 14.

“We’re also going to do some work on 19th Avenue, which is an east-west paved route right now, and then 52nd Street, which is just over the hill a little way,” Stutt said. “We want to try to get those in good shape first before construction on the bridges.”

But the bridge project is still a long way to realization. Stutt said it will go through several more phases — preliminary plans, final plans and clearances from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, among other agencies.

In February, Stutt presented a plan to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors to replace or rehabilitate more than a dozen bridges within the next fiscal year, as part of the secondary road five-year plan.

VA announces increased expenditures

The Office of Veterans Affairs announced a $776,000 increase in total expenditures distributed in Jasper County between the fiscal year 2016 and fiscal year 2017 during Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting.

Veterans Affairs Director Kurt Jackson said the aforementioned amount is federal money rolling into residents of Jasper County in one form or another, whether pensions, disability compensations, medical care, education and vocational rehabilitation or insurance.

“We’re doing our job and I’m definitely getting more than what you’re spending on our department currently,” Jackson said to board members Tuesday.

The summary was brought before the board during the approval of the Veterans Affairs’ quarterly report, noting the increase in total expenditures as well as the 416-person decrease in Jasper County veterans. Jackson said that number is predicted to decline but noted the uncertainty of that prediction.

“We still got the Persian Gulf War — it’s still ongoing and they still haven’t called an end to it,” he said. “And the number of disabled veterans are coming back so it’s kind of tough to predict, really. ... It’s beendoing a real big push to get the new veterans when they’re coming out of service to try and adapt them to their needs immediately or as quickly as possible. And, hopefully, we can get more money rolling into Jasper County.”

Jackson said the Jasper County Office of Veterans Affairs’ assertive approach to getting veterans involved and ensuring their availability of financial benefits and related program services to themselves and their families has helped the group stand out from other counties.

“I don’t think anyone is as aggressive as we are currently on our push to try and get those veterans signed up,” Jackson said. “The first year they’re out, they are as physically fit and trained and well as they can be, and they don’t think they need help.”

Board chairman Doug Cupples, R-Newton, extended words of gratitude to Jackson and the Veterans Affairs office during the Tuesday board meeting.

“I, for one, love what you’re doing with the vets,” Cupples said. “I love the fact that you’re trying to help them sooner rather than later.”

In other action Tuesday, the board:

• Approved the Auditor’s Office to the hiring of an additional clerk, Jaynie Urias.

• Approved a MorphoTrak, LLC maintenance contract for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office LiveScan machine, which was provided to the department by the state to take care of photos and automatic transfers of fingerprinting. The sheriff’s office is on a list to eventually have the unit replaced by the state within the next two to three years but is in need of a maintenance contract until then.

• Permitted the Jasper County Crop Committee’s request to use courthouse property to kickoff the annual Crop Walk Oct. 7 in Newton. The walk is expected to last from 1 to 3 p.m. Committee Chairman Barry Hurto was not present during the approval, but his brother, Larry Hurto, was at the board chambers on his behalf.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com