Budget cuts will affect the way Douglas County offices conduct business next year. Some changes will be noticeable to the public.

The Public Works Department will cut $90,000 from its road and bridge operations by switching to a different type of rock chips when it chip-seals 50 miles of road. Chipping and sealing involves spraying emulsified asphalt on the road and then applying rock chips on the surface.

During the past 10 years, the county has used dark shale rock chips. It is more popular with the public because the rock is heavier and less likely to become airborne and chip windshields and vehicle paint, Public Works Director Keith Browning said. It also causes less dust.

The county will switch to the lighter, cheaper crushed limestone rock chips it previously used, Browning said.

“It’s real tempting to just cut back for a year and lay less asphalt, but that just makes the problem a lot worse and more costly,” he said.

The county also will reduce funds for building maintenance at its parks, Browning said. It will also cut back on riprap, the rocks placed along the shore at Lone Star Lake for erosion prevention.

“During the past few years we’ve laid out a lot of riprap, so mostly I think we’ve got the erosion in check,” Browning said.

The county Zoning and Codes department might discontinue the inspection of fireworks stands, Director Keith Dabney said. It might also have to change the way it schedules concrete inspections.