County engineer updates board on new shop, bridge replacement and fall paving schedule

Scott Meinders, Winnebago County engineer, updated the board on several secondary-roads projects, including an online property auction, progress on a new maintenance shop, a bridge replacement project and upcoming microsurfacing and paving schedules.

Meinders told the board the county's property auction will go live on Central States’ real-estate site the day after the meeting and close on Sept. 10; individual lots have staggered closing times with a soft-close extension for last-minute bids. He described the new shop as nearing completion: drywall, paint, drop ceilings, lighting, a water softener, a mini-split unit and toilets are installed; cabinets were built by Leland Woodworks and crews are coordinating final hookups and floor sealing before cabinet installation.

On infrastructure projects, Meinders said replacement of a bridge on Logan 3231 is substantially complete, with pipe and backfill in place and the contractor expected to finish culverts and side slopes and reopen the road this week. He reported that crews completed grading and shoulder work on the Asmus stretch; paving work is planned for September with different layer depths depending on segments—examples discussed included 3 inches of additional asphalt on a half mile, and two-layer lifts totalling up to 6 inches on newly paved sections.

Items affecting residents: Meinders said the county will perform microsurfacing (a slurry-like surface treatment) on parts of 838 and Eagle Lane; microsurfacing will close one lane at a time for a few hours and the contractor will post door hangers with 24-hour notice. Meinders also addressed a resident concern about a driveway culvert, saying the county will follow up with field checks.

On shop ventilation and building finish, Meinders said the facility includes ceiling fans and heat-recovery units to improve airflow; he noted there were limited economical options for a full air-exchange system given large garage doors and that staff will manually monitor humidity and moisture. He also noted some added change-order items (e.g., water softener, exhaust fans) that will be added as separate pay-line items on estimates.

Ending: Meinders invited supervisors to tour the new shop and said he expects final hookups and interior work to be completed in a few weeks; bridge and paving operations are scheduled to advance through September. No formal board action was taken during the report.