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Board reviews roads and bridges work plan; approves road‑crew 4x10 holiday pay and equipment purchases
Summary
Winneshiek County’s engineer reported April 7 on bridge inspections, equipment purchases and staffing; supervisors approved 10 hours of holiday pay for road crews on a four‑10 schedule and accepted new equipment purchases.
Winneshiek County’s engineer gave an extensive report April 7 on secondary roads operations, including bridge inspections, equipment purchases, staffing and seasonal scheduling.
County staff said Bridge 320 on Pleasant View Road was closed after a recent inspection identified structural deterioration; engineering staff and consultants are targeting a replacement in the county program for completion by July 1, 2026. The engineer noted that the county manages just under 450 bridges (a mix of small culverts and longer bridges) and that bridge replacement costs vary widely; larger bridges typically require federal funds while smaller culvert-style structures can be addressed with local funds.
On equipment, the county purchased a pull‑behind Schulte SW 800 pulverizer for $14,600, which staff said will help reclaim gravel from shoulders and narrow roads and reduce erosion. The board also approved an auction strategy for two used sander trucks and accepted a vendor proposal that guarantees a minimum net return (transcript references an $11,000 guaranteed auction minimum versus a $10,000 trade‑in credit).
Supervisors approved a personnel and scheduling motion to grant 10 hours of holiday pay to road department employees while they operate a four‑10 hour work schedule for summer operations; the motion included discretion for the county engineer on schedule duration and carried by voice vote. The engineer and supervisors discussed staffing shortages — more than 10 percent of secondary‑roads staff left in the past year for other employment — and plans to recruit for equipment‑operator positions, mower crews and the bridge crew.
Board members also discussed FEMA reimbursements for recent work (category A and category C amounts cited) and a signed contract to establish a new geographic coordinate system (a county cost the engineer described as an “unfunded mandate” estimated at roughly $10,000 to coordinate with state/federal systems).
