Fulton County looks to extend life of highway department buildings

Funding requests approved for insulation and metal siding for shop at highway garage in Rochester and metal roof for salt barn in Kewanna. 

The Fulton County Highway Department will be making much-needed improvements to its own buildings in Rochester and Kewanna.

Metal siding had already been approved for the shop at the highway garage in Rochester, however, after seeing the remodel work being done at Enyart's Hardware, Highway Superintendent John Geier sought additional funding for foam insulation.

"They're doing the same thing, the metal siding, but they foam insulated it before they put the metal siding on," Geier said. "I got to thinking, why aren't we doing that? That big block building has no insulation at all, and now would be a perfect time to do that before we put the metal on."

A quote for insulation ranges from $20,000 to $24,000. That work also will add more expense to the metal portion of the project, originally quoted at $29,500. 

A good estimate would be to add another $12,000 to the metal expense, Geier said. 

"There are going to be expenses that we're not expecting," he added. "It's an old building."

In requesting the additional funding for insulation, Geier pointed out that the investment would eventually be paid for in fuel savings for heating the building. 

"If you had a bad enough winter, you'd probably get it back in one year," he said, but safely guaranteeing that the additional work would pay for itself over four years. 

"I think it's a smart move," Council Vice President Phyl Olinger said.

Councilman Pete Karas agreed, saying it would be pointless to put siding on without insulating the building first. 

"Get a hold of them," Olinger told Geier of The Insulation Guys LLC following a unanimous vote of approval by the council. The project is to be paid for out of the county's rainy day fund.

The salt barn at the highway department's Kewanna property is also to get some attention. 

With the building leaking like a sieve and storing upwards of two years' worth of salt, plans to have a metal roof installed have been pushed up. 

"The plan was to do it maybe December or the first of next year, and I'd pay for it out of next year's budget," Geier said. However, following recent rainy weather, he says it's a bad idea to wait. 

Council President Ron Dittman's suggestion to pay for the $42,900 project out of the county's cumulative capital development fund was unanimously approved.

Geier is to reallocate monies budgeted for the project next year into other building repairs.