LP access road costing more than budgeted
By Barry H. Hendrix Managing Editor

Work continues on the access road where it intersects Hwy. 43 in Kelley's Flat. Photo by Barry H. Hendrix

Clarke County Engineer Sam Noble reported Aug. 13 that there likely could be an overrun of approximately $152,028.32 for both phases of road construction at the new Louisiana Pacific mill site.

The Clarke County Commission Aug. 14 amended the consulting agreement with architects Goodwin, Mills and Cawood of Montgomery. The contract cost has risen from $449,000 to $519,000. The amendment has also been approved by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Total cost of the access road (Phase One) is $4,964,847.51, and the turn lane project (Phase Two) is expected to cost $697,180.85. The county received two grants for the LP road construction work: $4,850,000.00 (Phase One) and $660,000 (Phase Two) from the Industrial Access Board. Noble said the overruns are "pretty typical. When you look at the size of this project, that's not bad at all."

In other action from the two commission meetings last week, the commission approved three different county water authorities paying the Town of Grove Hill an increase from $1.90 to $2.50-perthousand in water service, retroactive to July 2. The utility department will propose a county water rate increase at the Aug. 28 commission meeting.

• The commission approved pay increases for the following personnel:

Assistant Jail Administrator Elbert Wright, 50 cents-per-hour increase;

Booking Officers Carl Olison and Ashley Banks, 50 cents-per-hour increase;

Central Control Officer Zanetta Pugh, 90 centsper hour increase;

Courthouse Security Officer Janice Caves, 50 cents-per-hour increase.

• The commission approved a proclamation that Sept. 24-29 will be Litter Awareness Week in Clarke County. The proclamation asked "all citizens to join in the effort to preserve and present Clarke County in its most beautiful state by eliminating litter."

• Another resolution was approved establishing a proposed Alabama Scenic River Trail in the county. Clarke County would be part of an eventual trail lasting some 631 miles, said Commissioner Rhone. It would start in north Alabama and go all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

• The commission accepted the only bid for a repair project to stop flooding in the basement of the courthouse. Dunn Construction bid $8,400.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service emergency watershed protection project on Evergreen Road has been completed, Noble said.

• A resurfacing project will be bid out Aug. 31. The project includes County Road 17 and the Chilton Road from Highway 43 to Highway 154.

• The commission approved a motion by Commissioner Elma Averett for a cost analysis to construct a new parking lot for the courthouse. He proposed that the county fill in the big gully behind the courthouse and provide more parking. Dirt from the LP mill site could be used to fill in the gully, which he declared "an eyesore," he said. Engineer Noble will have to get costs on providing drainage for the new parking area.

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