Jackson County approves easements and final plans for multiple road projects ahead of November DOT lettings

Jackson County supervisors on July 15 approved right‑of‑way easements, final design plans and multiple entrance permits to keep several county road projects on schedule for a November Iowa Department of Transportation letting.

County Engineer Jayden Schackl told the board the Channelworth Bridge replacement is slated for the November DOT letting and that the county had negotiated permanent easements needed to construct the new bridge. Schackl said the county obtained two permanent easements — 0.75 acres from Jerry and Amanda LaRoy for $3,750 and 0.71 acres from Roger and Joyce Pete for $3,550 — and that the property owners had agreed to those terms.

The board voted unanimously to approve the right‑of‑way purchase agreements. Supervisor Mike Steiners made the motion; Supervisor Nan Fuego seconded. Chairman Don Swicker announced the motion carried.

Why this matters: the county must submit final plans to the DOT three months before the letting. Schackl said the design check plans were submitted in early July and the county intends to send final plans next month to meet DOT deadlines so the Channelworth Bridge and at least one other project can appear on the November list.

Details and supporting actions: Schackl told the board the county expects to begin demolition and substructure work this winter so work is underway before spring high water; he said that winter work on piling and substructure would reduce the risk of delays when river levels rise. The county also approved final plans for the Y‑31 PCC overlay between Bernard Road and Scribe Town Bridge; Schackl said those plans address DOT comments and include paved shoulders funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

The board also approved a fiscal‑year 2026 RCTP (regional) agreement with the City of Baldwin for an awarded project. Schackl told supervisors the Baldwin RCTP grant amount was $7,380 in the grant paperwork he received; later verbal transcriptions at the meeting contained conflicting spoken figures, which are noted in the meeting record.

In addition, supervisors approved two entrance permits presented by the engineer: a residential entrance permit for Dan Rowe to move an existing access to 109th Avenue in Farmers Creek Township (Section 30) and a field entrance permit for Shirley Clough on 60 Fourth Street in Iowa Township (Section 17). Schackl reported site‑distance checks met county requirements for both approvals.

What the board approved (formal actions): the right‑of‑way purchase agreements for Channelworth Bridge easements, final plans for the Y‑31 PCC overlay, the FY‑26 RCTP agreement with Baldwin, and the two entrance/field entrance permits were each approved by motions and unanimous voice votes during the July 15 meeting.

Background: Schackl said DOT requires final plan submittal three months before the letting. The county engineer indicated the Channelworth Bridge project was on track for the November letting and that winter substructure work was the preferred schedule to avoid springtime flood delays. The Y‑31 overlay had already received DOT comments, which the county addressed before seeking board sign‑off.

Board action on related fiscal items: during the same meeting the board authorized routine financial actions handled by the auditor, including approval of claims listing and warrants; those administrative approvals are recorded separately in the board minutes.

Ending: Supervisors said they will continue to track DOT timelines and coordinate with property owners and contractors as final plans are submitted and right‑of‑way acquisition is completed. No public testimony was recorded on these agenda items.