The Dunn County Board of Commissioners approved payment of $211,249.92 to Schwartz Construction for work on Fourteenth Street after commissioners debated design errors and project costs.

Commissioner Heiser sharply criticized the project design and inspection, saying the job “has been a disaster” and that pipe elevations, centerline pipe placement and other errors required repeated corrective work. Engineer Jeremy and Road Superintendent Terry confirmed the county has borne costs for identified mistakes.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the project’s problems added significant engineering and rework costs. Commissioner Heiser contrasted the original bid and the county’s accumulated charges, citing an original construction bid of about $1,566,000, engineering fees approaching $245,000 and a current total project cost in the roughly $2.0–$2.1 million range for a 2.3-mile road.

Supporting details: Commissioners and staff described specific problems including incorrectly installed pipes, a double 60-inch pipe set too high before being lowered, improperly staked approach pipe elevations and larger-than-expected earth borrow quantities that increased haul costs. Jeremy (county engineer) said the county is paying for mistakes identified in the field and that they are working with the contractor to resolve outstanding items.

Action and vote: A motion to approve the pay request to Schwartz Construction carried on a roll call vote. Commissioners recorded “Yes” votes (Commissioner Heiser; Commissioner Olson; Commissioner Kleeman; Commissioner Pelton). The board noted the county had directed changes to inspection approach following the problems.

Next steps and context: Commissioners asked engineering staff to verify future pipe elevations and grading before work proceeds on similar projects. Heiser urged more rigorous field staking and closer coordination between inspectors and contractors to avoid repeating these costs. Staff said they will continue to work with the contractor and that identified corrections already are being paid by the county where appropriate.

Ending: Commissioners framed the Fourteenth Street experience as a caution for forthcoming projects and directed staff to take additional steps to avoid similar errors on future road work.