Public works director Jesse Walton told the Linn County commission on Nov. 24 that bids for road salt were opened and would be qualified and returned next week, and that a recently completed culvert and perimeter berm at the county landfill had been finished ahead of schedule.

Walton described three salt bids: a vendor out of Pittsburgh, Kansas (transcribed as "Kunchick") at $74.50 per ton delivered for regular salt and $97 per ton for snow slicer salt; CB Trucking with material cost $59 and delivery $51 for a total transcribed cost of $110 per ton; and Central Salt at $72.51 per ton delivered. Walton said the bids would be reviewed and brought back to the commission for qualification and formal award.

The commission approved an invoice from Terracon for $5,519.25 to pay for work on a perimeter berm and vertical cell expansion at the landfill; Auditor/Clerk motions and a second carried the payment vote. Walton said the berm is designed "to catch any rainfall... so no contamination will get outside of that berm," and that the contractor finished the berm in eight working days despite an estimated 20-day schedule. Walton also reported installing a 60-foot culvert and that an as-built survey will follow engineer review.

Walton asked for approval to pay two invoices to contractor Dave Sutter using insurance proceeds for a roof project; commissioners asked staff to verify funds with the clerk's office before payment.

The decisions signal near-term work to secure the landfill footprint and put winter maintenance contracts on the agenda for qualification.