Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Roads And Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Road supervisor outlines gravel problems, recommends blending pits and an extra full‑time hire
Summary
Roads superintendent reported variability in gravel pits, proposed blending material or opening additional pits, and asked to convert recurring part‑time seasonal positions into a permanent full‑time hire to address culvert backlog and ongoing maintenance.
Emmons County road staff told commissioners that gravel material from a long‑used pit is low in clay (binder) and that mixing that material with higher‑binder gravel would produce a more stable road surface. Road Supervisor Russ (last name not specified in the transcript) presented test results showing the VanDerHorst pit samples were low in fines and binder; he proposed either blending that material with rockier/high‑binder material from other pits or crushing a new source to produce a usable aggregate.
Contractor Tyler of RTS Shearing summarized laboratory gradation tests: several samples from the VanDerHorst stockpile fell short of the state’s class‑13 gradation guidelines on the finer‑fraction (binder) requirement, which explains why recently placed material rutted or failed in wetter conditions. Road staff and the contractor recommended a pilot re‑blend on a short test section rather than wholesale re‑handling of the entire stockpile because re‑processing the whole pile would be costly.
Supervisor Russ said the county also needs staff capacity to complete culvert projects and to make progress on roads that have accumulated deferred maintenance. He asked the board to consider hiring one additional full‑time employee in place of the two recurring part‑time seasonal hires currently budgeted; commissioners generally supported the idea but asked Russ to confirm benefit and total compensation figures and to verify available budget lines before proceeding.
Other equipment and material items discussed included scoping additional test pits in southern parts of the county, scheduling a crusher at Renton/Tom’s site for summer production, and inspecting a front‑mounted “retriever” or disc device used by neighboring counties to reclaim shoulder material — equipment that supervisors said can speed shoulder reconstruction in a small time window before grass growth.
Ending: Road staff will bring costed staffing and equipment options, and additional pit sample results, back to the board for a budget decision. The board encouraged experimenting with a short test patch blend and with contractor assistance during the summer construction season.
