By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Big toys are expensive but sometimes necessary. The Barton County Road and Bridge Department currently owns four brooms used to sweep county blacktops. Tuesday morning, Director Darren Williams asked the board of commissioners to replace a 2002 Broce Broom with 3,515 hours of service. The county received two bids for the replacement.
"I'm recommending we go with the Broce Broom, the low bid on this," Williams said. "They're both made in Kansas and they're both quality brooms."
The Broce Broom from GW Van Keppel will cost the county $73,900, or almost $6,000 less than the other bid. The 8-foot brooms are used to sweep county blacktops after seal work is done so stripers can stripe the road.
"Three hundred eight-nine miles we take care of," said Williams. "We do about 100 miles of sealing each year. You're looking at going down the road five or six times a day, just a mile at a time. They get a lot of use."
All four of the county's current brooms are well-used, and the replacement of the 2002 broom will replace the oldest of the group. The old broom will be kept for parts.