OTTUMWA — Wapello County Supervisors want to add an additional $600,000 to the previous issue of $2 million in general obligation bonds for a major street project.

Chairman Jerry Parker said the bids for repair of 87th Street are coming in higher than anticipated.

Tuesday’s decision sets the stage for a hearing and sale of up to $600,000 in general obligation bonds. The phrasing is key. Supervisors capped this bond sale at $600,000 and are not obligated to issue the full amount.

“We may not levy that much, but we need more than $2 million,” Parker said.

Supervisors decided this month to bond for the road repairs. Two major factors came into play. The county has worked on some repairs on the road for years, but has never had enough to complete the project. A tough year for roads finally pushed the situation to the point that the county must make the repairs or face the road’s near disintegration.

The same weather that further damaged 87th Street was even worse for the county’s gravel roads. Rains, ice, snow and flooding ripped apart many roads. Complete recovery will take at least two years, including this year.

Repairing gravel roads means bringing in more rock. That would take money needed for repairs to 87th Street.

Bonds offer the county a way out. The bonds provide dedicated money for 87th Street and also free up money for use on the gravel road repairs.

This is the first time in years that the county has gone into debt for a project. The last time the county owed money was in the spring of 2007, when it paid off the last of the loan for the Wapello Building.

Supervisors believe this is a good time for the county to borrow. Interest rates are low, and the county has no other debts.

The hearing on the additional bonds is scheduled for next week.

Supervisors also approved a contract for rock for the gravel roads, a step they delayed repeatedly over a dispute between the county and the company that submitted the low bid. The board holds that the Jefferson County Quarry/Wynn Corp., has violated the terms of its agreement with the county’s zoning board of adjustment.

Residents near the company’s operations in Wapello County say the company operates at a much earlier hour than the approved time and keeps operations running later in the day. Supervisors say they have observed the same behavior when they checked on the complaints. They were reluctant to grant a contract to a company that they feel is breaking its previous agreements.

That created a tension between what the supervisors feel is the most prudent move and the county’s obligation to save money when it can.

“The issue is not whether they’re the low bidder. The issue is whether they’re the lowest responsible bidder,” Supervisor Steve Siegel said.