Wright County awards $2.87 million paving contract, approves federal bridge aid application and other measures

The Wright County Board of Supervisors on March 24 voted to award a $2,874,239.78 paving contract to Heartland Asphalt and approved a separate federal-aid application for a bridge-to-culvert project, along with a series of smaller purchases and personnel actions.

County engineer Adam Clemens told the board the paving work covers sections of R-33 and C-54 from Highway 3 to Highway 69. The planned pavement work calls for three inches of milling followed by three inches of asphalt overlay; Clemens said the specification reduces crushed particles from 75% to 60% to allow greater use of recycled asphalt pavement and expected some material-cost savings as a result. The board received six bids on the project and awarded the contract to Heartland Asphalt for $2,874,239.78.

The board also approved an application for federal aid for a bridge-to-culvert conversion on a gravel section known locally as the Four Corner Bridge in Norway Township. Clemens said the federal-aid agreement for that project lists $900,000; county staff said the county will apply its VR (federal/state road) funds as the local match. The application was approved for submittal and signature.

Other actions approved at the meeting included authorization to purchase a replacement pump head for the chlorine system at the Agribusiness Park, approval of a retirement agreement for the county communications director, and approval of a new full-time communications hire pending pre-employment screening. County staff said the replacement part is expected to keep a spare on hand so the chlorine system remains operable.

Board members and staff flagged one personnel-motion detail for follow-up: the new-hire motion approved a starting wage of $21 per hour with two 50-cent increases at six months and one year and referenced “any cost-of-living increases.” Supervisors asked that language be revisited next week so the board can determine whether any cost-of-living adjustment should be explicitly set by the board rather than left unspecified.

Clemens told the board one of the bridge projects that had been scheduled for a resolution will be reworked and brought back next week; the board tabled that particular resolution for rewording.

The county auditor and county engineer will finalize paperwork and forward signed contracts to the winning contractor; Clemens said the paving work is scheduled to start later this construction season and the federal-aid project will be let after final federal approval.

Votes at a glance

- Award paving contract (project STP/C-54 & R-33): awarded to Heartland Asphalt, $2,874,239.78. Motion carried; roll call: Cloos, Bosch, Rasmussen, Lukes, Ellis — all ayes. - Federal-aid application (bridge-to-culvert, Four Corner Bridge): motion to approve application for federal aid; motion carried — all ayes. - Purchase of spare chlorine pump head at Agribusiness Park: quote approved (board described the cost as about $8,000 in discussion); motion carried — all ayes. - Retirement agreement for county communications director (retirement date listed in personnel file as September 4; last office day July 7): motion to approve retirement agreement; motion carried — all ayes. - New full-time communications hire: approved pending pre-employment physical and drug test; starting wage $21/hour with 50¢ increases at 6 months and 1 year; motion carried — all ayes. Board asked to revisit “cost-of-living” language on the approved motion next week.

Why it matters

The awarded paving contract covers roughly 15 miles of county roadway and represents one of the county’s largest seasonal capital contracts; the federal-aid application, if approved, will bring outside funding and allow a bridge replacement to proceed with county participation. Approvals of equipment purchases and personnel changes affect ongoing operations for county services including the Agribusiness Park and communications department.

What’s next

Signed contracts and federal paperwork will be completed by county staff. The board expects to revisit the wording of the new-hire motion at its next meeting and to reintroduce a revised resolution on one bridge culvert project that was tabled for rework.