Chase County commissioners on Aug. 29 voted to move forward with a multi-jurisdictional application to the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program and approved contracting for grant-writing services.

Brandy (last name given in meeting as Sutherland/Sullivan) of Valley Consultants presented a proposal to package replacement and repair work for multiple rural bridges along Middle Creek Road and elsewhere. The federal program can cover a large portion of design and construction costs; FHWA funds typically cover up to 80% of eligible costs, the consultant said.

The proposal identifies a group of bridges (six on Middle Creek and additional bridges identified in the county bridge report) that together would make a stronger regional application, Valley Consultants said. The county would be asked to supply a local match; Brandy said the Kansas Build Kansas Fund could be used to supply 15% of the usual 20% local match, reducing the county's direct share to about 5% in some cases. For the full set of up to 16 bridges discussed, the consultant estimated total project costs near $75 million and a local 5% share of roughly $3.7 million if all projects were included.

Commissioners discussed financing options, including bridge bonds and staged implementation. The consultant recommended breaking the work into smaller packages so local contractors (including regional and DBE firms) could bid and so projects could meet federal timetables. The FHWA application deadline was listed as Nov. 1; if awarded, the timeline includes up to 36 months to execute agreements and 18 months to begin construction phases, with federal funds available for five years.

Commissioner action: the commission voted to enter an agreement with the consultant (identified in the motion as Blue Valley Consulting / Valley Consultants) to prepare the application and authorized the county to pay the consultant fee of $12,500 from Fund 085 (the county multi-year capital improvement fund). The motion passed on a voice vote.

County staff and the consultant said that Osage County will serve as the lead applicant on the federal form and will handle primary communications with FHWA; Chase County will be a project partner and would be responsible for its share of matching funds and for local administration if the award is made.

The commission asked staff to develop a plan for how the county would cover any required local match (bonding, phased budgeting or other mechanisms) and noted that additional approvals will be required before any bond issuance or large local expenditures.