A proposed street project which would potentially pave all unpaved roads in Precinct 4 was dismissed by Ector County Commissioners during their regularly scheduled meeting Monday.
The project proposed an initial survey of the unpaved roads to be done by Landgraf, Crutcher & Associates for a fee of no more than $77,050. The total project cost was estimated to be $1,186,195, but Precinct 4 Commissioner Armando Rodriguez said the project could be done in parts over time, splitting up the payment.
John Landgraf, President of LCA, told commissioners the 11.2 miles was found to make up all of the unpaved roads in Precinct 4, describing them as little pieces scattered all over the precinct. He added that the commissioners could set the priority for which roads would be worked on first.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Eddy Shelton raised the point that there are many unpaved roads throughout the county, not just in Precinct 4. A report from the Ector County Highways and Streets Department shows Precinct 1 as having 37 unpaved roads, compared to Precinct 4’s 19 unpaved roads.
“I want to look at the county as a whole and not just one precinct,” Shelton said.
Dale Childers said he wanted a study done to see which unpaved, or caliche, roads are used the most in order to prioritize the order of roads worked on.
“I’d like to see some studies done, because I think we need to pave the busier caliche roads first,” Childers said. “That’s just common sense.”
Shelton added to Childers’ point by saying the only study that’s been done so far just shows how many unpaved roads there are, and not how often they are used.
“There could be weeds growing in it, because nobody uses it,” Shelton said.
With no second motion after the initial motion that a survey be done by Rodriguez, the proposed project died in court.
Rodriguez said he was disappointed the commissioners chose not to go forward with the project. He said one of the main reasons he wanted to see the roads paved in his precinct is due to poor economic development.
“There’s been no economic development whatsoever,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of businesses would not like to get into an area where the streets are not being paved.”
Rodriguez said he was unsure right now if he would push further for a Precinct 4 pavement project, or any further surveys, as commissioners may look at doing a survey through the county as a whole.
“Right now, my priority is Precinct 4,” he said. “Anything I do for Precinct 4, is good for Ector County.”
IN OTHER BUSINESS, COMMISSIONERS:
- Approved a proposed claims audit service agreement with J. Graham Inc.
- Approved a request for the county to assume maintenance and liability for the newly constructed 220.1 feet of N. Vista Grande Ave.
- Approved a preliminary plot Pilot Flying J south addition being an 11.42 acre tract located in section 45, block 43, T-2-S T&P RR. Co. Survey.
- Approved the proposed Magana MHRC 1.9650 acre tract in Broncho Subdivision, block 8, lots 2 and 3.
- Approved the proposed Hoyt addition being a plot of a 5.02 acre tract located in the east half of section 7, block 41, T-1-S, T&P RY. Co. survey abstract No. 52.
- Approved the accounts payable fund requirements report for Feb. 26, 2018, to review County financial statements and reports.
