IOWA CITY

L.L. Pelling, a highway construction company based in North Liberty, was selected by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors for an upcoming project on 540th Street SW in the Stringtown area.

The Board voted 4-1 at its Sept. 28 formal session to approve a contract with Pelling for $982,877.33. Pelling was the only bidder for the project, which is expected to be done next spring.

Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz voted against approval.

“I was asked to visit with some of the residents recently and listened to some of their concerns,” Fixmer-Oraiz told The News. “Given the timing of the project, I was unable to stop it and I know our Secondary Roads team has worked very hard to accommodate several requests from residents. But I just wanted more time to discuss any further changes we could make.

“In the end, there were changes and considerations for horse-and-carriage travel that I believe will be an improvement, and I also don’t want to delay the county’s efforts to work through the five-year roads plan.”

The project includes a resurfacing project on the portion of 540th Street SW which passes in front of Stringtown Grocery. The road currently has a chip-seal surface, but it will change to an asphalt surface for the first time.

Ed Bartels, a Johnson County engineer, told The News that the new road would be 33 feet wide with a drainable base underneath the surface.

The stretch to be resurfaced, which is less than half a mile long, is the precursor to a larger project on 540th Street slated for 2024 or 2025 on the county’s five-year plan. A $4.1 million pavement rehabilitation project, from Highway 1 west to Calkins Avenue SW, where Hillcrest Academy is located, is in the planning stages.

Fixmer-Oraiz plans to work with other Johnson County staffers “in the future to investigate creating more of a cultural district for the Amish community in the area, in the hopes that we can more proactively address their cultural needs.”

Jail Elevator

The Board approved the replacement of a power unit for the elevator at the county jail because there is a risk of the elevator, which has been in place for 42 years, breaking down.

The upgrade for the elevator’s power unit was approved at a cost of $26,820.

Kone Elevator was contracted to do the repairs.

Board Action

The Board approved a number of staff job descriptions.

The Board approved a change order of $13,646.60 with All American Concrete of West Liberty for a size increase in the construction of a bioretention cell at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm.

Next meeting: The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. Oct. 5.