County Council supports Highway Dept. request for pothole patching machine

Jason Peters, County Highway Superintendent, received unanimous support from the County Council for the purchase of a Dura Patcher during a special meeting on Tuesday.

The Highway Superintendent said the durability of the patches using the forced injection process creates a longer-lasting, smooth patch.  He said the process saves time and material because the material stays in the pothole and employees don’t have to redo patches as they do with the current process.   

Peters said about 60% of the complaints received at the highway department are because the current patch material doesn’t hold, and citizens feel it’s a waste of time and money, especially when they must repatch. 

The Dura Patch machine will be used for road surfaces that are newer and in locations where they plan to chip-seal because the new process doesn’t create humps in the surface.  Peters said they won’t use the Dura Patch on county roads that have failed.

Peters told the County Council, “Now is the time, with less than 25% of the county roads in the failed status, we can use this effective patching method to keep our ‘good’ roads good.” 

Trying to secure a positive outcome the highway superintendent said, “Due to additional funding and support that has been invested in the roads over the years and the position the county is currently in, this is an opportunity to pursue the work that is needed to maintain what we have and benefit the county in the future for what has been invested in the past.” 

Council members had a few questions and made some positive comments. 

Councilman Jim Masterson asked what the plan was for the old machine that has been modified, and Peters said he’d like to sell it and would like to look at purchasing a second Dura Patcher in the future.

This new machine can operate with two employees while the old machine takes three. 

Council President Tim Harman told members the Cum Cap fund has $1,032,000 with an expected $500,000 more to come in yet this year.  He said they have budgeted $400,000 out of that hasn’t been expended yet, but at the end of the year, he estimated a line item of $1.1 million.   

The council unanimously voted to support the purchase of the Dura Patcher. 

Peters said the price is $97,500 because this is the machine we saw them demo, so they gave the county an additional $2,000 price cut.