Stevens County approves road contracts, awards gravel crushing and accepts $500 veteran-service donation

The Stevens County Board of Commissioners approved several highway contracts, accepted a $500 donation for the county Veterans Service Office and heard a first-quarter budget update at a regular meeting.

The board awarded a low bid for hauling and material work, approved an informal bid for seasonal striping, and authorized crushing 40,000 cubic yards of gravel at the Wolf pit after staff said competitive bids came in well under budget estimates. Commissioners also accepted a $500 donation to the Veterans Service Office and voted to accept a delegation of registration authority for two local government units. County staff briefed the board on equipment deliveries, needed vehicle fuel-tank modifications, and a proposed $40,000 update to the county's Highway Safety Improvement Plan that staff opted not to fund this year.

The approvals affect routine road maintenance and short-term gravel inventory decisions that county staff described as necessary to meet a landowner deadline and to build a multi-year stockpile. County highway staff said recent low bids and the ability to reallocate budgeted shouldering funds made the crushing purchase feasible.

County highway staff said competitive prices this spring allowed the board to award multiple contracts under the previously budgeted amounts. "We got some really good prices this year," county highway staff said. Staff recommended awarding the hauling/trucking work to the apparent low bidder at $268,481.94 and awarding the Wolf pit crushing contract at $2.48 per cubic yard to Brown Excavating of Glenwood. The board approved both awards by voice vote.

In other road-related action, the board approved awarding the county's seasonal striping contract to the apparent low bidder (unit prices), with a stated planned cost near $46,683; commissioners noted the unit-price approach is used because final linear footage is measured after work is completed. Commissioners also approved a maintenance agreement with the City of Hancock that would run through Dec. 31, 2025; the city had already signed the contract.

Staff described operational details that accompanied those approvals: the county canceled a budgeted $100,000 shouldering contract to free funds for crushing, expects to spend about $50,000 on hired labor and culverts in advance of next year’s paving, and intends to use a newly ordered shoulder reclaimer to reclaim gravel and lower costs. Staff also said new equipment deliveries have largely caught up after earlier backorders; they flagged a needed modification to a new Western Star truck’s underbody fuel tank that would add about $1,500 to avoid midday refueling on long hauls.

On finance, the county auditor presented a first-quarter review showing overall revenues lagging (typical before spring tax collection) and some expense lines above seasonal averages because of prepayments (insurance, annual appropriations). The auditor warned that state aid uncertainty next year could create a significant funding shortfall for the highway fund and encouraged departments to live within current budgets to preserve flexibility.

Commissioners also discussed whether to update the county Highway Safety Improvement Plan; staff said the state offered to update the plan but estimated the county cost at roughly $38,000–$40,000 in levy funds and recommended postponing the update this year.

The board accepted a $500 donation designated for the Veterans Service Office and voted to accept the state delegation of registration authority for Baker and Stevens townships (local zoning thumbs-up and registration authority steps that are part of a state prelicense/registration workflow). The board additionally took routine actions — approving the agenda and minutes with stated corrections — and heard reports from county representatives to regional organizations, including PrimeWest, Viking Library and West Central Initiative.

Reports flagged other issues: discussion at PrimeWest about a nonemergency medical-transportation fraud case now in federal review; concerns about potential federal cuts to library funding and the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and local public-health staffing and regulatory implementation related to low-potency cannabis products. Commissioners discussed low-potency hemp edibles and whether the county should adopt additional local controls but took no policy vote on that topic during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Accept agenda (with addition: $500 donation to Veterans Service Office): approved by voice vote. - Approve minutes of April 15 regular meeting (with 3 corrections): approved by voice vote. - City of Hancock maintenance agreement (contract effective through 2025-12-31): motion by Mr. Connor; approved by voice vote. - Award hauling/trucking project (apparent low bidder named in transcript): recommended $268,481.94; approved by voice vote. - Seasonal striping contract (unit-price bid, planned cost ~ $46,683): approved by voice vote. - CP2025-02 Wolf pit crushing (40,000 cu yd) to Brown Excavating of Glenwood at $2.48/cu yd: approved by voice vote. - Delegation of registration authority for Baker and Stevens townships (local registration/zoning touchpoints for state licensing process): approved by voice vote. - Accept $500 donation to Veterans Service Office: approved by voice vote.

No roll-call tallies were recorded in the public discussion; motions were approved by voice vote unless otherwise noted.

What remains next

Staff said they will proceed with awarded contracts and follow up on operational items: the truck fuel-tank modification, gravel-crushing scheduling to meet the landowner's timeline, and reallocating budgeted shouldering funds. The auditor will monitor revenues once spring tax collections post and return to the board with updated projections and a July report on several funds and grant-related revenue items.

Sources and attributions

Reporting here is based on county staff presentations and on recorded statements during the Stevens County Board of Commissioners meeting, including remarks by county highway staff, the county auditor and county administration. Direct quotes in the article are from county highway staff and county financial staff as recorded in the meeting transcript.