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Consulting engineers present drainage services option; board hears updates on multiple drainage-district matters
Summary
An engineering team described a proposed annual contract to handle drainage work and work orders; supervisors heard status updates on multiple drainage-district reclassifications, hearings and an ongoing appeal.
A consulting engineering team described to Worth County supervisors a proposal to provide recurring drainage work-order support and limited engineering services under an annual contract.
John (consulting representative) said his firm has provided similar services for other counties and offered a reduced-rate, annual contract intended to relieve local drainage clerks and let county staff focus on core duties. He introduced two staff members who would work on Worth County matters: Colton, who will manage larger projects, and Nathan Schmidt, a licensed professional engineer who would handle field checks, GPS shots and reports.
"We typically check to make sure it is actually a district facility," Schmidt said, adding that for small repairs the firm provides documentation and GPS- or photo-based reports and that the county could keep work local by directing contractors the county prefers. Schmidt said his firm generally treats repairs under $20,000 differently (field fixes or contractor calls) and provides more formal reporting for items above that threshold.
Supervisors asked how the contractor would handle ongoing work already in the field; the consultants said they document and coordinate rather than require contractors to stop. "If somebody's there, we got it documented," the consultant said.
The board also received status reports on several drainage district (DD) matters: reclassification work on DD 6 and DD 7 (a hearing to be scheduled), ongoing construction for DD 14 south of Northwood, a pending Army Corps coordination for DD 18, and continued activity on DD 21 mitigation-bank work and an administrative appeal that could lead to a short written appeal filing. The board discussed an upcoming annexation hearing for DD 48 and whether field verification is needed to determine if a landowner tiled across a watershed boundary.
Why it matters: County drainage districts manage tiles, ditches and permitting that affect farmland, property drainage and downstream water levels. Hiring a recurring engineering contract could speed routine work-order handling and provide a consistent approach to documentation and contractor coordination.
What's next: Supervisors asked staff to follow up with the consultants and said they would provide the county's district facility shapefiles if the board moves forward. The board also intends to schedule hearings and follow up with the Army Corps and legal counsel on ongoing appeals and annexation questions.
