Byers, Bechtold to interview candidates

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is ready for the next step in the search for a replacement for county engineer Brad Skinner.

At the regular meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors May 21, the supervisors met with interim engineer Charles Bechtel and assistant to the engineer Barry Byers. Bechtold said he would review the list of interview questions and suggested Byers be present at the interviews.

“I’d like Barry to sit in. He has a lot of knowledge of where the county is at, and I think it’s important that he helps pick out his boss,” Bechtold said.

The tentative date for the interviews is set for May 29, though a time has not been officially set yet. Byers said they are also making tentative plans for the upcoming county rock haul.

“Right now we’re proposing a June 4 letting, with a July 22 start date. That gives them a little more time to get the rock crushed,” Byers said.

Byers said the total amount of rock for the haul would be over 37,000 tons, and roughly 125 miles worth of road.

Bechtold said there was money for a belly dump and a lowboy. Bechtold suggested the secondary roads department seek bids for the equipment and then purchase the items.

“The belly dump is something we need for hauling, especially if we start transporting from longer distances. The lowboy the county currently has puts pressure on the gravel roads which can damage them, and can also damage the asphalt when they’re unloading. I’ve been told the lowboy is a need, and the belly dump is a want item. There’s definitely money for one of them, but I think it’s possible to purchase both,” said Bechtold.

The supervisors also held a public hearing for an ordinance into local option sales and services taxes for the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County. No oral or written comments were received.

The ordinance establishes local option sales and service tax applicable to the transactions in the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County.

The supervisors approved the first reading of the ordinance, then voted to waive the second and third readings.