how it works:
Oceana county Roads
funding & repairs
On Monday, January 13th, 2020 Michigan State Senator, Jon Bumstead and Oceana County Road Commission Manager, Mark Timmer gave a presentation at the Hart Middle School. Attendees were provided with note-cards to submit questions during the presentation. Not all of the questions were able to be answered during the event, but we promised to share them with you after the event.
Mr. Mark Timmer provided answers to the additional questions submitted that evening:
1. How do you define “Primary” vs local and what does the classification mean in terms of allocating funds and prioritizing road repairs?
A: Primary Roads are classified by the State of Michigan, and we receive more funding for their maintenance. They also tend to have higher traffic volumes, and are the first ones to be plowed, and looked at for paving and other maintenance.
2. How does OCRC prioritize which local roads will be repaired?
A: Local roads require at least 50% participation by townships. Townships that participate in road work will work with the Road Commission to help prioritize upgrades.
3. Do you do any maintenance on seasonal roads?
A: A seasonal road is often nothing more than a two track that leads to hunting or fishing or a cabin that is used in the summer. These roads are not maintained from November through April by the Road Commission, in other words they are NOT snow plowed. We do not upgrade these roads, and the only maintenance is occasionally blading or trimming trees.
4. How much money is allocated to side streets?
A: Side streets are considered local roads. In 2019 the Road Commission spent about $1,000,000 on local road projects, $1,100,000 on local maintenance, and $400,000 on local winter maintenance (plowing etc.).
5. Can you share with other townships and villages?
A: Villages receive their own money from the state to do maintenance and plow. The township roads are under the jurisdiction of the Road Commission.
Sometimes a Village will pay us to do work for them such as snowplowing or chip seal, and this can be a money saver for everyone involved.
6. Whom rates the roads and is there a website to see where the money went?
A: MDOT, an independent expert, and a Road Commission employee all rate the roads at the same time, and have a consensus regarding the rating they agree upon.
There is no website that details all projects and expenses.
7. Can townships, villages city’s ect. Pool road money to bid one big bid?
A: Sometimes we can bid together, with each municipality be invoiced separately. An example would be for everyone to turn in a request for bid for paint striping, and the Road Commission, the Villages and Cities would be invoiced and pay for the roads that are in their jurisdiction.
We do put out requests for paving price where we include many roads at the same time to get better pricing.
8. When does OCRC notify a township of response to “wish list” submitted for road repairs?
A: Typically we receive the wish lists in November, December, or January and we try to return the estimates in January or February.
9. What public transportation do we have in Oceana County?
A: The Oceana Council on Aging has a bus that will pick up people.
10. Why are we still using antiquated pothole and crack filling products?
A: The pothole and crack fill products are asphalt based. Asphalt based products are the best thing to repair asphalt roads. There are some specialty products available that are really expensive and would not be able to handle the volume of repairs most road agencies need to do.
11. What new products (since 2014) are being used?
A: In that time we purchased two four (4) ton hot boxes, and two dura-patch machines that spray hot tar and stone to fill holes.
12. It seems that the trucks are not out plowing until kids are in schools and parents at work. What is the normal hours local roads are plowed?
A: Our normal hours are 7am to 3:30 pm. We often times have an early start at 5 am. We have two employees on nights typically from November through March, although they usually work on the highway. It is a big county so it is impossible to get all roads plowed before people go to work or school.
13. Is there a comprehensive plan for county roads of expected maintenance based on expected life on original engineering and construction?
A: The Road Commission is working on an asset management plan for road and bridge work. We are also attempting to chip seal any new pavement within 3 years of when it is paved to preserve the investment and prolong the life of the roads.
14. Is Jackson road from Oceana Drive east to 126th a class A road?
A: Jackson Road is a National Functional Classification Local Road, it is NOT a Class A road.
15. If so, why has it not been fixed the whole way rather than the middle part that was in the best shape?
A: We have asked both Crystal Township and Weare Township to participate in paving this road, but so far only Weare has contributed, which they put $40,000 into paving the section that was paved two years ago. The Road Commission spent about $400,000 on this stretch, which was the worst stretch at the time it was paved. The middle that was paved was the worst stretch not the best. The condition was rated independently by a paving engineer and Road Commission employees with the same conclusion.
16. When can we expect Water Road (by the Road Commission) in Hart Township to be repaved?
A: There is currently no date planned.
We have given Hart Township an estimate to rubblize and pave Water Road and that amount is about $650,000. The Township would have to pay at least half of this to make this project possible. There are only about 250 cars per day on this road so it is one of the least traveled in the county on most days.
17. We’ve noticed state roads that were in “good” condition being re-paved (M120 from Muskegon to Fremont Wesco – 5 mile intersection) while other local roads which are in much worse shape being ignored. Is there a way to move funds from projects such as the re-paving of 120 to local roads?
A: The roads you mention are State Routes, or those owned by MDOT. Their projects are totally separate from ours and there is no way to transfer money between them. Their roads also carry the majority of traffic that passes through a county.
18. Why is the northeast quarter of the county so underserved by OCRC and when they do come out they make the roads worse, especially gravel and secondary roads?
A. We have crack-poured, durapatched, wedged, and chip sealed many miles of roads in that section of the county the last three years. We have also paved several miles of roads in Leavitt and Crystal Townships.
19. Are there any plans to fix the “berm” along the dirt roads from grading?
A: All of the gravel is at the sides rather than the road (hump is missing) so the water can’t reach the ditches. My driveway on Minke is almost a foot above the road and cars scrape noses coming in/out.When there is an excessive amount of berm from years of grading it can not be pulled into the center. Sometimes, a township will request a gravel road upgrade, where the township pays for the gravel, and the road commission will remove this berm with equipment, and ditch.
20. What and when is Baseline Road going to be fixed?
A: Baseline was pulverized in the late fall, but paving was postponed until spring of 2020 due to the early snow and cold weather.
Video clips from the evening are available on Youtube: How It Works Presentation
Mr. Mark Timmer provided answers to the additional questions submitted that evening:
1. How do you define “Primary” vs local and what does the classification mean in terms of allocating funds and prioritizing road repairs?
A: Primary Roads are classified by the State of Michigan, and we receive more funding for their maintenance. They also tend to have higher traffic volumes, and are the first ones to be plowed, and looked at for paving and other maintenance.
2. How does OCRC prioritize which local roads will be repaired?
A: Local roads require at least 50% participation by townships. Townships that participate in road work will work with the Road Commission to help prioritize upgrades.
3. Do you do any maintenance on seasonal roads?
A: A seasonal road is often nothing more than a two track that leads to hunting or fishing or a cabin that is used in the summer. These roads are not maintained from November through April by the Road Commission, in other words they are NOT snow plowed. We do not upgrade these roads, and the only maintenance is occasionally blading or trimming trees.
4. How much money is allocated to side streets?
A: Side streets are considered local roads. In 2019 the Road Commission spent about $1,000,000 on local road projects, $1,100,000 on local maintenance, and $400,000 on local winter maintenance (plowing etc.).
5. Can you share with other townships and villages?
A: Villages receive their own money from the state to do maintenance and plow. The township roads are under the jurisdiction of the Road Commission.
Sometimes a Village will pay us to do work for them such as snowplowing or chip seal, and this can be a money saver for everyone involved.
6. Whom rates the roads and is there a website to see where the money went?
A: MDOT, an independent expert, and a Road Commission employee all rate the roads at the same time, and have a consensus regarding the rating they agree upon.
There is no website that details all projects and expenses.
7. Can townships, villages city’s ect. Pool road money to bid one big bid?
A: Sometimes we can bid together, with each municipality be invoiced separately. An example would be for everyone to turn in a request for bid for paint striping, and the Road Commission, the Villages and Cities would be invoiced and pay for the roads that are in their jurisdiction.
We do put out requests for paving price where we include many roads at the same time to get better pricing.
8. When does OCRC notify a township of response to “wish list” submitted for road repairs?
A: Typically we receive the wish lists in November, December, or January and we try to return the estimates in January or February.
9. What public transportation do we have in Oceana County?
A: The Oceana Council on Aging has a bus that will pick up people.
10. Why are we still using antiquated pothole and crack filling products?
A: The pothole and crack fill products are asphalt based. Asphalt based products are the best thing to repair asphalt roads. There are some specialty products available that are really expensive and would not be able to handle the volume of repairs most road agencies need to do.
11. What new products (since 2014) are being used?
A: In that time we purchased two four (4) ton hot boxes, and two dura-patch machines that spray hot tar and stone to fill holes.
12. It seems that the trucks are not out plowing until kids are in schools and parents at work. What is the normal hours local roads are plowed?
A: Our normal hours are 7am to 3:30 pm. We often times have an early start at 5 am. We have two employees on nights typically from November through March, although they usually work on the highway. It is a big county so it is impossible to get all roads plowed before people go to work or school.
13. Is there a comprehensive plan for county roads of expected maintenance based on expected life on original engineering and construction?
A: The Road Commission is working on an asset management plan for road and bridge work. We are also attempting to chip seal any new pavement within 3 years of when it is paved to preserve the investment and prolong the life of the roads.
14. Is Jackson road from Oceana Drive east to 126th a class A road?
A: Jackson Road is a National Functional Classification Local Road, it is NOT a Class A road.
15. If so, why has it not been fixed the whole way rather than the middle part that was in the best shape?
A: We have asked both Crystal Township and Weare Township to participate in paving this road, but so far only Weare has contributed, which they put $40,000 into paving the section that was paved two years ago. The Road Commission spent about $400,000 on this stretch, which was the worst stretch at the time it was paved. The middle that was paved was the worst stretch not the best. The condition was rated independently by a paving engineer and Road Commission employees with the same conclusion.
16. When can we expect Water Road (by the Road Commission) in Hart Township to be repaved?
A: There is currently no date planned.
We have given Hart Township an estimate to rubblize and pave Water Road and that amount is about $650,000. The Township would have to pay at least half of this to make this project possible. There are only about 250 cars per day on this road so it is one of the least traveled in the county on most days.
17. We’ve noticed state roads that were in “good” condition being re-paved (M120 from Muskegon to Fremont Wesco – 5 mile intersection) while other local roads which are in much worse shape being ignored. Is there a way to move funds from projects such as the re-paving of 120 to local roads?
A: The roads you mention are State Routes, or those owned by MDOT. Their projects are totally separate from ours and there is no way to transfer money between them. Their roads also carry the majority of traffic that passes through a county.
18. Why is the northeast quarter of the county so underserved by OCRC and when they do come out they make the roads worse, especially gravel and secondary roads?
A. We have crack-poured, durapatched, wedged, and chip sealed many miles of roads in that section of the county the last three years. We have also paved several miles of roads in Leavitt and Crystal Townships.
19. Are there any plans to fix the “berm” along the dirt roads from grading?
A: All of the gravel is at the sides rather than the road (hump is missing) so the water can’t reach the ditches. My driveway on Minke is almost a foot above the road and cars scrape noses coming in/out.When there is an excessive amount of berm from years of grading it can not be pulled into the center. Sometimes, a township will request a gravel road upgrade, where the township pays for the gravel, and the road commission will remove this berm with equipment, and ditch.
20. What and when is Baseline Road going to be fixed?
A: Baseline was pulverized in the late fall, but paving was postponed until spring of 2020 due to the early snow and cold weather.
Video clips from the evening are available on Youtube: How It Works Presentation
A Huge THANK YOU to
Michigan State Senator Jon Bumstead and Oceana Road Commission Manager Mark Timmer
AND to all who participated!
Michigan State Senator Jon Bumstead and Oceana Road Commission Manager Mark Timmer
AND to all who participated!
Chair Andy Sebolt, Michigan State Senator Jon Bumstead, Oceana Road Commission Manager Mark Timmer