Supervisors discuss adding sub base crew to county road department

The possibility of adding a four man crew to Pearl River County’s Road Department for sub base work for asphalt paving work appears to have gotten one step closer. The sub base provides a stable surface to support new pavement. Pearl River County Road Manager, Charlie Schielder, discussed his findings of what will be required to create a crew for the purpose of performing small sub base work in his department during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday.
The equipment Schielder outlined for purchase includes a skid steer with multiple attachments, such as a milling head, sweeper, and a bucket, which will be used to grind and clean away bad asphalt. He said a single axle dump truck and a trailer will need to be purchased to haul the equipment, plus take away waste pavement and bring fresh asphalt to be laid. Schielder said the county has a roller that can be used for packing as part of this crew’s equipment. He said a four person crew will be added that would include an equipment operator, a truck driver, a layer (laborer), and a flagman.
The price tag of the equipment still needs to be placed out for bids, but Schielder gave the Board the estimated cost to purchase the equipment at approximately $224,000. The additional employees would be an approximately $188,000 per year according to Schielder’s initial estimate.
Schielder stated that he believes in the long run the county would save money with this crew because he could keep his full road crews working on larger projects without tying them up with small road repairs. The board also shared Schielder’s belief that in the long run, this crew would save the county money and asked Schielder to work with County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin to prepare a package with details for the next meeting.
Comments