County schedules committee meetings for highway planning, government center tours and public open houses

Benton County commissioners set committee meetings to advance highway planning and scheduled public open houses and facility tours related to the government center project.

County staff asked the board to form a committee of the whole to discuss highway topics and the five‑year capital improvement plan, with special attention to Mayhew Lake Road and related priority-setting for state and federal funding. Commissioners agreed to hold the highway committee meeting on March 25 to begin discussions about the five‑year plan and project partnerships.

Commissioners and staff discussed funding strategies for Mayhew Lake Road, including pursuit of RAISE grants, federal earmarks and possible state bonding. Staff and commissioners noted prior corridor and corridor‑planning work and said recent local developments — including school and park projects — have increased traffic and raised project priority. Commissioners said they will continue outreach to state and federal representatives and acknowledged the county has applied multiple times for RAISE and other federal funding.

The board also set dates for government center public outreach and facility tours. Staff announced open-house sessions and tours: an open house at Sauk Rapids government center community room on April 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; an open house in the Benton County board room on April 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; a Rice City Hall event on April 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; facility tours on May 6 at 4 p.m. (posted as a committee of the whole); and a special board meeting on May 6 at 6 p.m. Staff said the county will provide separate postings for the open houses and for the tours, publish notices and advertise the events on county channels.

A motion to set the committees of the whole and public meeting dates was made and adopted by the board. Commissioners asked staff to publish and promote the outreach dates and to coordinate facility-tour logistics.