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Supervisors set bid dates for saturated-buffer project, approve drainage work and move to advertise Hutchins gravel pit
Summary
The board set bid-opening dates for a saturated-buffer water-quality project, approved a change order and pay application for DD4 Lateral 40, approved an inter‑county drainage agreement and several drainage repair requests, and directed staff to advertise the Hutchins gravel pit lease and consider selling exhausted pits.
Kossuth County supervisors approved several road- and drainage-related actions on the agenda, set advertisement and bid dates for a water-quality saturated-buffer project, and directed staff to advertise one gravel-pit lease while exploring sale options for two exhausted pits.
Why it matters: The actions affect county infrastructure maintenance, drainage district repair work, and county-owned gravel resources — all of which influence road repair timelines, agricultural land use and county revenue from pit leases.
Key actions and details: - Saturated-buffer (water-quality) project: County staff presented plans for a saturated-buffer installation at the outlet of Drainage District No. 81, describing perforated lines and drawdown structures to treat low flows. The board set bid opening and consideration dates: bids to be opened September 2 and considered September 9, both at 9 a.m.
- DD4 Lateral 40 change order and pay application: Supervisors approved Change Order No. 1 for DD4 Lateral 40 to retain an existing lateral that is providing additional relief capacity, and they approved Pay Application No. 3 for the same project. County staff said the existing lateral is performing well and the construction cleanup is acceptable.
- Inter-county drainage agreement: The board approved an agreement with "Fairball County" to split maintenance and assessment responsibilities on shared drainage lines. Staff said the agreement uses Kossuth County's calculation process to determine each side's share of a total bill and will allow repair work to proceed on both sides of the state line.
- Gravel pits and leases: The county engineer reviewed county gravel-pit leases across Kossuth and adjacent counties, noting long-term tenants and irrigation equipment investments at some pits. Supervisors agreed to advertise the Hutchins pit, which currently lacks a lease but drew interest, and to pursue selling pits that appear exhausted or better handled by adjacent landowners.
- Other updates: Secondary roads updates included completed resurfacing and shouldering on several routes, work on a bridge north of Sexton, traffic marking progress and work on annual reports for the secondary road department. Staff also noted a federal "bridal investment program" funding opportunity for two bridges already in the county program that could provide alternate funding if awarded; staff will pursue the opportunity.
Votes and administration: Several routine approvals were completed with motions and votes on the record (change order and pay application approvals, drainage agreement, bid-setting, and repair-request approvals). The board also approved drainage repair requests presented by the new drainage staff member.
Ending: Supervisors said the agreements and project scheduling should help move long-delayed repairs into construction and permit more predictable road and drainage maintenance.
