Pulaski County commissioners voted to authorize United Consulting to prepare design documents and apply for a Community Crossings bridge overlay grant covering 16 county bridges.

United Consulting engineer Chris Dyer told the commission the firm is prioritizing bridges where a waterproof membrane and hot-mix asphalt overlay can extend service life and “get the most bang for our buck.” He said the Community Crossings program requires a 20% local match and that, for example, $1 million in construction would require about $200,000 from the county. Dyer described an upfront design fee of $41,000 to prepare the applications and estimates and an additional $6,000 for part‑time construction inspection.

The commissioners discussed budgeting for the design fee; staff said the $41,000 would come from this year’s highway budget. A motion to proceed with United Consulting was made and seconded, the commission held a voice vote and those in favor said “aye.” The meeting record shows no roll‑call tally; the motion was announced as carried.

If funded, a single contractor would be selected to perform the overlay work across the 16 bridges. Commissioners and staff emphasized the purpose is preservation: use of a membrane and HMA overlay to seal deck surfaces and slow deterioration so expensive full replacements can be deferred.

The commission’s action at the meeting authorized United Consulting to advance design and application work; further steps—contract awards and construction scheduling—will follow only if the Community Crossings application is approved and funding is available.

The county attorney participated by Zoom but did not register an objection during the discussion.

Budget and next steps: staff said the design fee is budgeted in the highway office’s Community Crossings line and inspection fees were identified as additional project costs; the county’s 20% match requirement was repeated as a program rule.