Arizona Highway Commission Notes

JULY, 1936 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 13 that part of that certain road in Maricopa County running in a Northeast-erly direction from Aguila, on U. S. Route 60, to Congress Junction, on U. S. Route 89, which said part of said State Route is approximately five miles in length, more or less, and lies in Maricopa County, State of Arizona, be designated as a State Highway and funds placed in the budget for its maintenance and improvement.

It was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that proper notice be sent the Boards of Supervisors of Coconino and Navaio Counties of the intention of the Highway Commission to designate the Winslow-Long Valley road, from the City of Winslow to the Forest Line, as a State Highway.

State Engineer O'Connell asked the Commission about releasing the Tentative Budget for the Fiscal Year 1936-1937 to the press, stating that in the past he has given it to the morning and the evening papers alternately, and this year, according to this practice, it should go to the morning paper. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Seale. seconded by Commissioner Addams and unanimously carried, that the Tentative Budget for the Fiscal Year 1936-1937, be released as of today, Mav 26. 1939, whereupon, the budget was immediately made available to all desiring it.

It was regularly moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Angle, and unanimously carried, that a resolution be adopted in respect to the death of Mr. Albert Erickson, father of Mr. S. A. Erickson, Engineer of State Certification and Dam Control.

There being no further business to come before the Commission, it was regularly moved, seconded and carried, that the Commission adjourn at 11:55 a. m., May 26, 1936, to convene again at 9:00 a. m., June 15, 1936, for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget.

The Arizona State Highway Commission met in official session in their offices in the Highway Building at 9:00 a. m., June 15, 1936. Those present were: Chairman Dowell, Vice-Chairman Angle, Commissioners Barth and Seale; also Assistant Attorney General A. I. Winsett, the State Engineer, and the Secretary. Commissioner Addams was absent.

Awarding of bids received on the Boulder Creek Bridge, A.F.E. 8801, which consists of furnishing and delivering of structural steel. f.o.b. Mesa, Arizona.

State Engineer O'Connell pointed out that the low bidder is the Virginia Bridge Company, of El Paso, Texas, however, according to Chapter 12, Session Laws of 1933, a five per cent preferential is granted to State firms when fabrication is within the State, therefore, he recommended that the contract for the furnishing and delivering of structural steel, f.o.b. Mesa, Arizona, for the Boulder Creek Bridge, A.F.E. 8801, be awarded to the Allison Steel Manufacturing Company, of Phoenix, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 12, Session Laws of 1933, in the amount of $10,028.20. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Angle, and unanimously carried, that the recommendation of the State Engineer be accepted.

State Engineer O'Connell recommended, subject to the approval of the Bureau of Public Roads, that the contract on the Prescott-Flagstaff Highway, W.P.M.H. 96-D: A.F.E. 7912, be awarded to the low bidder, Pearson & Dickerson, Contractors, Inc, in the amount of $114.562.53. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Barth, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the recommendation of the State Engineer be accepted.

State Engineer O'Connell, calling to the fact that bids had not been turned in on the alternate, recommended subject to the approval of the Bureau of Public Roads, that the contract on the Yuma-Gila Bend Highway W.P.M.H. 82-A-A.F.E. 8078, be awarded to the low bidder, White and Miller, in the amount of $53,409.60. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded bv Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the recommendation of the State Engineer be accepted.

Chairman Dowell presented Resolution No. 45, signed by W. L. Johnson, Clerk, and L. B. McAleb, Mayor, of the City of Wilcox, which was passed and adopted by the Common Council of the City of Wilcox, requesting that Haskell Avenue be designated as the street over which the Benson-Steins Pass Highway, as well as State Highway No. 81, shall pass through Wilcox. After consideration, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Barth, and unanimously carried, that the resolution be adopted and the State Engineer be authorized to enter into the regular form of maintenance agreement with the City of Wilcox covering Haskell Avenue.

State Engineer O'Connell referred to the awarding of the contract on the Mesa-Superior Highway W.P.H. 7, A. F.E. 8077, to the Tiffany Construction Company, under date of April 30, 1936, subject to the approval of the Bureau of Public Roads, and advised that, as yet, approval had not been received from the Bureau, however, many wires had been sent to and received from Bureau Officials. The following information is taken from wires on this matter, as presented and read to the Commission by State Engineer O'Connell: Under date of June 11, 1936, Mr. J. S. Bright, Construction Engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads, in answer to a wire from State Engineer O'Connell, quoted a wire from Mr. H. K. Bishop, Chief of Division of Construction, U. S. Bureau of Public Roads. Washington, D. C., stating that primarily the bidding check is the guarantee of the bidder that the contract will be signed and bond furnished if award is made to him, and the manner of its presentation in the absence of evidence of an ulterior intent, should not be regarded as a fundamental irregularity where the deposit of guarantee is not a specific statutory requirement and there is reserved to the awarding officials the right to waive technicalities; that it seemed the failure to attach the check to the bid was an oversight in this case, and such a tech-nicality should have been waived under the right of the waiver reserved to the state, particularly in view of the differ-ence between the low and second-low bids. Further, that if this had been a Federal job, the technicality would have been waived and the award made to Skousen Brothers, or all of the bids would have been rejected and the work readvertised. In view of the wire from Mr. Bishop, the contents of which have been just outlined, Mr. Bright stated his office was not able to make further rep-resentation unless Arizona had a "speci-fic statutory requirement," not already submitted to Washington.

Under the date of June 12, 1936, State Engineer O'Connell wired Mr. H. L. Bishop, Washington, D. C., making ref-erence to his message to Mr. Bright, and advised that the check from Skousen Brothers had been obtained from the bank just previous to the opening of bids and was not tendered by Mr. Skousen until his bid had been opened. Also, that Mr. Skousen had stated, after the award was made to the Tiffany Con-struction Company, that he believed the State was right in its decision and if he had been the second-low bidder, under similar circumstances, he would have made protest. Therefore, in view of these facts the State could not accept the Bureau's decision in this case and if they did not see fit to change same, the State would withdraw their request for Federal Aid on this particular proj-ect and let it as a State Project, as Skou-sen's bid is not considered a competitive one in this instance by the Highway Commission.

The Commission approved the wire sent to Mr. Bishop by State Engineer O'Connell upon his explaining that Fed-eral Funds could be withdrawn from the project and transferred to another proj-ect, either one in Apache County or on Highway 60, and State Funds substi-tuted on Mcoa-Superior Highway-W.P. H. 7. A communication was read from Commissioner C. E. Addams, in which he concurred in the telegram sent to Mr. Bishop and in which he stated it would be agreeable to him to transfer the Fed-eral Funds from W. P. A. 7 to W.P.H. Projects on Highway 60, and transfer State Funds from Highway 60 to W. P. H. 7, and award the contract as a State Project.

State Engineer O'Connell stated that since the members of the Highway Department knew the attitude of the Commission in a case of this kind, such a bid in the future would be thrown out and not read. He recommended that the Legislature be requested to enact a law providing that in cases where no check is enclosed with a bid, the bid shall be thrown out.

It was agreed at this time that action on awarding this contract as a state project be deferred until later in the day in case a reply might be received to the State Engineer's wire to Mr. Bishop.

The Commission recessed for fifteen minutes, after which they met again in open session for the purpose of holding the Public Hearing on the 1936-1937 Budget. All members were present ex-cept Commissioner Addams.

It was regularly moved by Commissioner Barth, seconded by Commission-er Angle and unanimously carried, that

14

the following changes be made in the 1936-1937 Tentative Budget: The terminus of the Lowell-Fort Huachuca Highway is to be extended to the Junction of U. S. Highway 80 at Lowell, Arizona.

Item 332, in the Plant Account, for Highway Equipment is to be reduced in the amount of $8,800 and the following items set up:

$8,800 It was regularly moved by Commissioner Barth, seconded by Commissioner Angle, and unanimously carried, that the $50,000 set up in the Tentative Budget for 1936-1937 on item A.F.E. 2121, Clifton-Springerville Highway, be cut to the amount of $25,000 and that $25,000 be set up on a new project on Route 75, between Duncan and Clifton.

Mr. H. C. Hatcher, Statistical Engineer, explained that, through an oversight, he had not included in the 1936-1937 Tentative Budget Project 105-E, A.F.E. 6068, Route 60, Globe-Showlow Highway, termini 105-D to 105-F, bridge and approaches, seven-tenths of a mile, in the total amount of $114,534.29 Federal Funds, which inclusion will change the total of the first sheet of the Budget from $10,308,362.05 to $10,422,696.34.

There being no further changes or amendments offered on the proposed budget of the Arizona State Highway Department for the Twenty-fifth Fiscal Year, 1936-1937, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Angle, and unanimously carried, that the Budget of the Arizona State Highway Department for the Twenty-fifth Fiscal Year, 1936-1937, be adopted subject to the inclusion of the above-mentioned items or changes.

The State Engineer was authorized to proceed in compliance with the Highway Code and provisions contained in the budget, with all maintenance, betterment, construction and administration of the Department.

A letter was read from Commissioner C. E. Adams requesting the Commission to favorably consider the transferring of Grade Separation Money, amounting to $75,000 set up for the Gila Bend Grade Separation to Grade Separations located in Cochise County; namely at Douglas, Cochise and Fairbank, and the same amount of State Funds be transferred to the Ajo-Gila Bend Highway for its construction.

State Engineer O'Connell explained that the location for the grade separation at Gila Bend, as chosen by the Highway Department, had been turned down by the Bureau of Public Roads and the other location, which does meet with the approval of the Bureau, is prohibitive because of the high cost. He stated the funds for the grade separation at Gila Bend may be transferred to Cochise County and the State Funds accumulated from Cochise County projects, amounting to approximately $61,500, transferred to the Ajo-Gila Bend Highway and a "Wig-Wag," which will amount to approximately $3,500, be installed at Gila Bend. He also recom-mended that approximately $10,000 be transferred to the Mesa grade separation for the time being and until final plans are completed for that grade separation. After consideration, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Barth, and unanimous-ly carried that the funds set up on the Gila Bend grade separation be transfer-red to the three projects in Cochise County; namely the grade separations located at Douglas, Cochise and Fair-bank; that $10,000 be transferred for the time being to the Mesa grade separ-ation; that $3,500 be allowed to remain in the budget item for a "Wig-Wag" at Gila Bend; and that State Funds, amounting to approximately $61,500, be transferred from Cochise County to the construction of the Ajo-Gila Bend High way.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS JULY, 1936

mended that approximately $10,000 be transferred to the Mesa grade separation for the time being and until final plans are completed for that grade separation. After consideration, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Barth, and unanimous-ly carried that the funds set up on the Gila Bend grade separation be transfer-red to the three projects in Cochise County; namely the grade separations located at Douglas, Cochise and Fair-bank; that $10,000 be transferred for the time being to the Mesa grade separ-ation; that $3,500 be allowed to remain in the budget item for a "Wig-Wag" at Gila Bend; and that State Funds, amounting to approximately $61,500, be transferred from Cochise County to the construction of the Ajo-Gila Bend High way.

Chairman Dowell presented a letter from Mr. A. O. Grant, Assistant Agri-cultural Engineer, of the U. S. Soil Con-servation Service, stating that in carry-ing out its flood control program in the Bisbee district, a fence is being con-structed around the entire Bisbee water-shed, the purpose of which is to ex-clude all livestock from grazing on the watershed area. The fence which is now under construction, crosses U. S. 80 at Mule Pass and at the South City Limits of the City of Bisbee, and their request is that the Highway Department con-struct two cattle guards across U. S. 80; one at Mule Pass and the other at the South City Limits. State Engineer advised that this Department has es-tablished a precedent whereby in cases where the highway has already been built, the Federal Agency obtains per-mission from the Highway Department for such construction, and if it is grant-ed they build the structures at their own expense. The letter was referred to District Engineer W. R. Hutchins for his investigation and report to the State Engineer.

Assistant Attorney General Winsett reported that he now approved the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Arizona State Highway Department and the Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, relative to demonstrations of methods of erosion control along highways," which had been presented earlier by Mr. Walter I. Ettleman, having added to Item 1, under Section A, the words "which shall be mutually agreed upon." It was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the State Engineer be authorized to enter into the Memorandum of Understanding.

Assistant Attorney General Winsett was requested to obtain a list of the indebtedness due the Highway Department from the Chief Accountant and submit it, together with his recommendations for collecting same, to the Commission at their next meeting.

The Secretary presented correspondence referring to payment of a claim owing Mr. D. W. Ingram, in the amount of $345.27 for usage of trucks. State Engineer O'Connell stated the money is rightfully due Mr. Ingram, however, the trucks should not have been rented from him because of the fact he is not a Con-tract Carrier and he cannot comply with the law for the reason that he has disposed of the trucks. After discussion, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the matter be referred to the Assistant Attorney General and he report at the next Com-mission meeting how the matter may be settled.

tract Carrier and he cannot comply with the law for the reason that he has dis-posed of the trucks. After discussion, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the mat-ter be referred to the Assistant Attorney General and he report at the next Com-mission meeting how the matter may be settled.

It was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the claims presented by the Secretary for the printing of the 1936-1937 budget in various papers within the State, be approved for payment.

At this time, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Barth, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the highway from Winslow South on the Long Valley Road, located in Coconino and Navajo Counties, to the Forest Line of the Coconino National Forest, be designated as a State Highway.

The Commission recessed at 3:20 p. m., and went into executive session. Meeting again in open session, all mem-bers present except Commissioner Addams, it was regularly moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Com-missioner Barth, and unanimously car-ried, that inasmuch as no reply has been received to the State Engineer's tele-gram to Mr. H. K. Bishop, Chief of Di-vision of Construction, U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, Washington, D. C., con-cerning the contract on the Mesa-Super-ior Highway-W.P.H. 7, A.F.E. 8077, that the motion made April 30, 1936, awarding same to the Tiffany Construc-tion Company in the amount of $117,-177.52, subject to the approval of the Bureau of Public Roads, be amended and the words "subject to the approval of the Bureau of Public Roads,' Is," be elimi-nated and the contract be awarded to the Tiffany Construction Company in the amount of $117,177.52, on the rec-ommendation of the State Engineer.

Mr. A. C. Sieboth, Right of Way En-gineer, made a detailed report to the Commission on the right-of-way costs that will be incurred on the project lo-cated on Highway 80, from the Tucson City Limits north, which is known as "Miracle Mile."

There being nothing further to come before the Commission, it was regular-ly moved, seconded and carried, that the meeting adjourn at 5:00 p. m., June 15, subject to the call of the Chair.

EDITORIAL

badly worn tires. Blowouts are danger-ous. Keep the lights adjusted. You need good lights for night driving. Keep the windshield clean. A dirty or rain-covered windshield often means trouble. Keep the brakes in good condition. Keep them gently on long hills. Use your compression on steep hills. Eleventh: Be a good sport on the road. Little favors done to others on the road may be repaid to you a hundredfold. Be careful of people walking along the roadway. They deserve courtesy and consideration as well as the other mo-torists you may meet. Also do not "hog" the road: it is both dangerous and un-sportsmanlike.