Dunn County commissioners on Wednesday approved several contractor payments for ongoing road projects and heard detailed field updates about easements, wetlands and project timelines.

The board voted to pay contractors on multiple projects after staff recommendations. James (staff member) recommended payment of estimate number 2 to Schwartz Construction for $160,245.68 for the 20 Seventh Street Southwest project; Commissioner Pelton moved and Commissioner Heizer seconded the payment, and the motion passed on a roll-call vote. The commission also approved pay estimate number 1 to Bronco Brothers Construction for $93,647 for the 119th and 20 Second Street project and pay estimate number 7 to Bronco Brothers for $216,141.45 for 100th and Fifth Avenue. Another payment — pay estimate number 5 for $91,452.86 — was approved to Jensen Brothers for 90 Seventh Avenue.

The payments followed multi-topic updates from the road department. Carl (road department staff) briefed the commission on project designs and permitting: 16th Street grading was redesigned to avoid a cultural site; 20th Street’s preliminary grading shows an estimated 0.31 acres of wetland disturbance and staff is assessing whether mitigation can be done on-site or if wetland credits will be required; 90 Eighth Avenue’s grading plan shows 0.19 acres of wetland disturbance spread across two sites and staff are trying to reduce impacts below the one-tenth-acre threshold where possible. Several projects already have field surveys or shovel testing complete, and staff said they are coordinating grading plans against archaeological findings to avoid impacts where possible.

Jeremy (staff member) and other road staff reported utility relocation progress on the 119th/CSI project and estimated a November 1 completion date for one project; some contractors expect to start work after Labor Day. Staff also noted rock excavation has been a major added cost on 20 Seventh Street — the current price on the PS-1 schedule cited in the meeting was $30 per cubic yard, up from $14.75 — and more than 2,000 cubic yards of rock had been encountered on that project so far.

In discussion commissioners asked for clarity on right-of-way status on several projects. For the BIA 10 work, staff said engineering plans will be finished in the next two weeks but that ownership/verification of right-of-way remains the responsibility of the project owner (the tribe/BIA) and is outside the county’s scope except for engineering. On several projects staff asked for future commission direction about wetland mitigation versus purchasing credits.

Ending: The commission approved the payments and asked staff to continue work on design adjustments, right-of-way negotiations and wetland mitigation options. Several projects remain in permitting or right-of-way acquisition stages and will return to the commission for further decisions and possible approvals of construction actions.