Ashland County highway committee to apply for RTA design grant, forwards staffing and shop-build proposals to executive committee

ASHLAND COUNTY — The Ashland County Highway Committee voted to submit an application for a Rural and Tribal Assistance (RTA) pilot grant to fund design work on county culverts and authorized staff to pursue hiring a part‑time employee and to advance a proposal for a second mechanic position in the 2026 budget process.

The committee also tabled action on continuing an LRIP/ALREP pilot program until committee staff can gather township feedback. Committee members discussed contractor bids and schedule details for resurfacing projects on State Highway 13 and State Highway 169 and heard a department staffing and operations update from highway staff.

The RTA grant application will be submitted as a single‑entity county request for design work on County C and related culverts, with staff intending to file on the first day the grant window opens. Erica, identified in the meeting as the county grant writer, said the program’s window opens in March and urged an early submission: “We want to submit on March 4 when the window opens,” she said, adding that multi‑municipality applications add complexity and tight timing.

Committee members emphasized that the RTA grant would fund design work only; construction funding would still require separate competitive grants or other funding sources. Highway staff said design work typically takes about a year and that having designs “on the shelf” would improve chances for construction funding later.

On program administration, the committee discussed whether to continue with an LRIP/ALREP pilot that uses a consultant to administer the local program. Highway staff said the pilot (a two‑year arrangement) expires in June and that Trans 204/Trans 206 regulatory guidance assigns administration responsibility to the highway commissioner. Several township contacts reportedly prefer returning administration to county staff. The committee voted to table a final decision until Matt (highway staff) solicits formal input from townships and returns the item to the next meeting.

On staffing and shop capacity, the committee authorized moving forward with recruiting a year‑round part‑time position (up to 17 hours per week under the county handbook) and agreed to forward a recommendation to the executive committee for final approval. The request would use budgeted funds; meeting remarks noted the county’s limited summer‑help hires in recent years and unspent LTE funds from the prior year.

The committee also voted to forward a recommendation to the executive committee and the 2026 budget process to add a second full‑time mechanic. Highway staff outlined the rationale: long waits from commercial bodybuilders for new trucks, the ability to build truck bodies in‑house to reduce purchase cost and lead time, and the potential to redeploy an operator from shop work to field work. Staff estimated a typical commercial body build labor portion at about $73,000 of a roughly $201,000 package; doing the build in‑house would reclaim that labor cost and could free funds to help cover the new mechanic’s salary. Staff estimated the position’s fully‑loaded cost at about $100,000 and projected a net recurring departmental benefit of roughly $39,000 based on labor savings and billed hours to other departments. Committee members were also told additional shop equipment (a second set of truck jacks) would be required at an estimated $50,000.

Committee members received an operations update noting crews were “full staff” for the season, summer‑help advertising would start soon, and crews had been active despite a light winter: staff reported they had been on state highways 57 days out of a recent 102‑day period, logging about 1,027.5 regular hours and approximately 1,384 overtime hours on state routes during that span.

On construction contracting, staff reported State Highway 13 will be resurfaced this year with culvert work; the general contractor listed was “A 1 Excavating” with a reported bid of approximately $9,872,000. State Highway 169 will be resurfaced and the Bad River bridge will receive a new deck; Northwoods Paving was reported as the general contractor with a bid around $7,104,000. County Highway GG projects will be split into two contracts to match LREP funding allocations and are expected to be advertised soon.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of the meeting agenda — Motion to approve by Marty (mover), second by Tom (seconder); outcome: approved (voice vote). Referenced in transcript blocks beginning with roll call and agenda approval. - Approval of Highway Committee minutes (Nov. 4, 2024) — Motion by Tom Rayburn, second by Jim Schultz; outcome: approved (voice vote). - ALREP/LRIP pilot continuation — Motion to table and seek township input before deciding; mover: Marty; seconder: Jim (as stated at the meeting); outcome: motion to table approved. - RTA grant application (apply as single‑entity for County C design work) — Motion by Beverly to apply; second by Gerald; outcome: approved (committee voted to submit a single application for the county). - Part‑time employee (seek to hire up to 17 hours/week and forward recommendation to executive committee) — Motion made and seconded in committee; outcome: approved to forward to executive committee for consideration. - Second mechanic position (forward recommendation to executive committee and include in 2026 budget process) — Motion by Tom Reiner; second by Marty Vitek; outcome: approved to forward to executive committee and pursue through the 2026 budget.

What the committee did not decide

The committee did not vote to end or continue the LRIP/ALREP pilot; it tabled final action and directed staff to solicit township preferences before the June expiration. The RTA grant application decision was limited to filing for design funds and does not commit the county to construction funding.

Background and next steps

Staff will solicit town input on the LRIP/ALREP pilot and return the item to a future meeting before the June deadline. Grant staff and highway staff plan to prepare the RTA application for the grant window opening in March and aim to submit on day one. Recruitment for summer help and the proposed part‑time position will proceed contingent on executive‑committee review and any required approvals in the county budget process. The mechanic position will enter the budget cycle for 2026 pending executive and county board review.

Meeting logistics: the committee scheduled its next meeting for April 14 and adjourned at the end of the session.