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Accountant Joyce Hagan recently reported that the September check will be the lowest so far this year at $410,624.52.

"The check is going to be down again, $55,000 less than last month. It's (based on) what they collected in the month of July," she explained to Vice-Chairman Ron Gerstenberger.

Hagan has been tracking gas and weight tax funds, state maintenance reimbursements and township contributions so the road commissioners can see how funding is going down.

She also reported the road commission will have to come up with the $25,000 match money for the work on Decker Road. The road commission policy provides up to $25,000 per year to townships to resurface or pave township roads.

On the plus side, they should receive close to $100,000 from the state for maintenance projects on state highways this fall. Hagan also said the road millage interest money will be coming in soon.

"I hope we will get enough investment money to pay for all the work we did (culverts in preparation for the reconstruction of Todd Road)," commented Gerstenberger.

They are reconstructing seven miles of Todd Road from Fisher Road to M-90 this fall, and the county share is $400,000.

Hagan explained after the meeting that the culvert work on Todd has already been paid for. However, the road commissioners have committed to pavement marking and she doesn't know where that money will come from.

The road board spent a chunk of money in June when they bought property in the Sandusky Industrial Park for $330,000. They took the money from the debt fund, which totaled $942,449 on May 30.

The funding drops have also impacted the work they are doing on primary paved roads this year.

The county road commission had to cut four paving projects they had planned to do this year. Over the past few years the road commission has approved more projects than they could pay for out of road millage monies, forcing them to tap their operating funds or take the money out of the following year's millage funds. Last year they spent $786,653 from the operating fund on primary road projects. However, with the gas and weight tax revenue declining, they can't afford to do that any more.

The road commission also made $35,916 selling old equipment on Ebay this summer.

"I think we got a lot better prices (than with auctions). I think instead of waiting (until they have a lot of old equipment stockpiled) we should sell it when we park it," Hagan stated.

"Then I could cancel the insurance. We can't take it off insurance until we actually sell it," added Board Secretary Suzanne Shagena.

*The commissioners awarded the job of repairing a bridge to McDowell Associates of Ferndale for a total of $20,650, which submitted the low quote. The Marlette Road bridge that needs a repair is over the South Branch of the Cass River, which is west of Maple Valley Road. The plans do not call for the road to be closed for the repair.

"Robb says it has quite a dip, it is really sunken. He talked to a couple different contractors. Rob thinks if we can get it done this fall we should," reported Shagena.

Engineer-Manager Robb Falls, Board Chairman Harold Donaghy and Assistant Engineer-Manager Dale Stolicker were all absent because they were attending a road builders' conference at Boyne Mountain.

*Hagan also reported on the work at the new Sandusky garage. She said the electrical work is done, the telephone is hooked up and they have made a parts room. The crew has also been cleaning and painting and moving shelves around. They are working on the bulk oil set up and expect the hoist will be delivered later this month.