Supervisors grant 20‑day extension to DD31 contractor amid drainage project delays

Franklin County supervisors approved a 20‑day extension for a contractor working on drainage district DD31 after a detailed update on construction delays, equipment breakdowns and difficult soil conditions.

County engineers and staff reported multiple challenges on the project — including sandy pockets, collapsed tile and repeated equipment failures that have limited daily progress. Contractors have been cleaning out long runs of pipe and using bypass pumps to drain standing water caused by plugged lines and spring runoff.

Contractors had asked for a 30‑day extension. Board members debated the request and weighed the contractor’s timing against late harvest and the need to avoid working in standing crops. Supervisors noted the contractor had not started as early as some expected and that rainy weather can slow work further. Several supervisors said they would prefer a shorter extension; the board ultimately approved a 20‑day extension pending the contractor’s acceptance. The vote record indicates the motion carried with more ayes than nays and one supervisor voting against any extension.

Staff said the contractor had roughly 4,000 feet of pipe remaining and that once the crews pass the deepest cuts the daily footage installed should increase. Supervisors and staff said the county has offered to install an offset tile to enable contractors to work around wet areas if the contractor chooses.

County staff described efforts to limit crop damage to a single landowner where possible and said they had hired supplemental crews to operate jetters because some equipment ran only a day or two before breaking.

The board’s motion authorized county staff to offer the 20‑day extension to the contractor and to sign the paperwork if the contractor accepted the terms. Supervisors also asked staff to emphasize the need for rapid progress as spring weather arrives.