The Worth County Commission voted to replace the fountain with bottled water on each floor level in the Courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Kevin Austin said that the water out of the fountain was not fit to drink and smelled even before the present fountain was disconnected, citing the frequent boil orders and what he said were dirty pipes. He offered to pay for it personally, but the other two commissioners voted to have the county pay for the bottled water after he left the meeting, saying that having bottled water would be more sanitary. The county had a plumber look at the fountain and he told the county that it didn't have a filter and that it couldn't be retrofitted. Austin left the meeting just 45 minutes after calling it to order due to illness. West Commissioner Dennis Gabbert was appointed to take the place of Austin in his absence.
It was reported that the Village of Denver is seeking a grant for a bulldozer, for which they might be eligible for a higher percentage under the USDA grant/loan program. The county is partnering with Denver in the effort; Economic Developer Charity Austin said that she would check into the possibility. It was reported that Caldwell County had gotten a similar grant with one of its townships under this program. Denver is also in the process of getting a loan for a new emergency siren.
Road and Bridge Crew Foreman Jim Fletchall reported that the 2007 Caterpillar grader was broken down and that the county crews were in the process of trying to determine the problem. It was binding in the turntable. Parts needs were discussed and Fletchall reported that the county was ready to start bridge work in a week or so, starting with the Nonneman Bridge. He relayed a request from Larry Scott for ditching and a tube on Road #87. Dennis Gabbert reported that the Batson bottom was rutting, needed ditch work, and needed crowned.
Much of the discussion centered around a permanent solution for the Cook Bridge north of Allendale. The bridge was put in around 1988 and had not been engineered. At the time it was put in, there was no water running underneath, but now, the water runs underneath all the time and runs over the road regularly. Fletchall said that a permanent solution would involve raising the bridge six feet so that it is the highest point and getting brush removed. In the worst-case scenario, the water goes over the guardrails. There had been one low spot which had always overflowed, but it has gotten progressively worse since the flooding of 2007 and 2008.
County Clerk Lisa Hargrave reported that the Courthouse Roof was continuing to leak. While recent repairs had narrowed down the leaking, it was continuing to leak in one area and that a roofer would come in and give an evaluation for the county. East Commissioner Rob Ruckman said that when they originally built the slate roof in the 19th century, it was the best that they had, but that it was not the best solution now. He worried about how the roof would handle hail damage in the event of strong storms.
Jim Fletchall said that a lot of the feedback that he got concerned mud on the roads and trenching work that was needed. Another problem was what to do in the event that phone lines underneath the roads were exposed; East Commissioner Rob Ruckman said to grade them anyway, saying that it was more important to properly crown the roads and fix them up in the long term.
The Commission attempted to seek out bids for fuel, but only got one bidder this time. Previously, the county had automatically gotten its fuel from MFA, but decided to get bids this time in an effort to get a better deal. After commissioners called prospective bidders, the county decided to reject the one bid received and restart the bidding process over again.
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