Commissioners okay rental equipment for roadwork

The Orange County Road & Bridge department will go with rental equipment to do some roadwork projects this summer. The Orange County Commissioners’ Court approved renting a Bomag Soil Stabilizer/Recycler at their regular meeting on Monday afternoon. Clark Slacum, county engineer, said the county had the option of renting the equipment for either $13,300 month, or $4,400 a week, or $1,400 a day. Slacum said it would be cheaper to rent it by the month and use it for two months. The commissioners agreed. Insurance will be added for the equipment.

Douglas Manning, assistant county attorney, announced after a closed meeting he will contact G&G Enterprises about remaining items on a punch list to be completed for the Orange County Convention and Expo Center. The project must be completed by December 31, 2014 and the county will request retainage funds.

G&G was awarded the $10,560,000 bid in 2011. The cost of the center was $13.2 million, with $10.7 million being provided through various grants and money available to the county, and the C.H.A.M.P.S. (Community Hands Assembling a Multi-Purpose Structure) board was looking to raise the remaining $2.9 million through the private sector. Federal funds already approved for the center totaled $9.86 million, as long as the construction is completed within a 24-month period, according to C.H.A.M.P.S. documentation.

Commissioners also approved travel expenses for County Treasurer Christy Khoury, Assistant Chief Deputy Missy Pilsbury and Election Administrator Tina Barrow for training.