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Ashland County highway committee votes to continue LRAP pilot program
Summary
The Highway Committee approved continuing a pilot program that gives towns priority for LRAP/ discretionary funding, after several towns asked the county to renew the arrangement to preserve their access to extra funds.
The Ashland County Highway Committee voted to continue a pilot program that keeps locally nominated projects under a towns-priority selection process for discretionary LRAP (local road improvement) funding and authorized the highway commissioner to sign the agreement to continue the pilot.
Highway Commissioner Matt said he initially wanted the county to resume direct control of the program but recommended continuation after consulting a towns meeting where seven of 13 towns attended and expressed support for the pilot. "I just think instead of putting any funding in jeopardy for our towns, that we just go into pilot so they have the best chance they can get at getting that extra funding," Matt said.
Matt told the committee that most nearby counties had already signed similar agreements and that continuing the pilot would avoid jeopardizing towns' chances of receiving discretionary dollars. A committee member asked whether the decision needed county board approval; committee members answered that the agreement was a committee matter. Tom Reager moved to continue the pilot and Barty seconded. On a voice vote the motion carried.
Committee members said the decision was driven by towns’ requests and the desire to maximize grant funding for local road projects. No countywide budget or ordinance change was enacted; the action authorized the highway commissioner to sign the continuation agreement with the program administrators.
The committee’s packet referenced ongoing LRAP selection procedures and local coordination with town officials; Matt said he had met the towns and that seven of 13 towns at the meeting favored continuing the pilot. He repeated the committee’s priority: to ensure the towns retain the best chance at discretionary funding for local road projects.
The vote was taken by voice; committee members signified assent and the motion carried. The committee did not specify a funding change under this action; implementation will follow the existing LRAP/agreement procedures.
