Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure And Roads topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stevens County engineer reports road maintenance plans, spillway study and grant applications
Summary
The county engineer updated the board on road maintenance priorities, mastic and sealcoat work, upcoming mill-and-overlay projects, a preliminary DNR/Houston Engineering study of a local spillway that could include rock riffles and water-level changes, and an upcoming Safe Routes to School infrastructure grant application due Jan. 17.
The Stevens County engineer briefed the board on ongoing and planned highway work, equipment updates and an early-stage DNR-led study of a local spillway.
Engineering and maintenance staff reported they have been routing and sealing cracks on County Roads 1, 13, 8 and 4, and that work to extend pavement life with routing, rubblized filler and sealcoating can add several years to a road surface. The county plans a mill-and-overlay on County Roads 13 and 8 and is preparing an ADA and sidewalk plan for a County 34 project; portions of that work will be submitted for a Safe Routes to School infrastructure grant with a Jan. 17 deadline.
Staff said equipment deliveries and upfitting are proceeding: a new Western Star chassis is expected to be delivered in March or April and the cost to upfit a Polaris Ranger will be charged against public-safety aid funds; staff explained at year-end entries will offset purchases against public-safety revenue.
The engineer said he attended a recent meeting with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Stevens County Soil and Water, and Houston Engineering about the future of a spillway downstream of a local dam (described in the meeting as the spillway downstream of ‘‘facade 10 bridal’’ in staff remarks). The consultants and DNR dam-safety staff indicated multiple options are under consideration, including removal of the existing structure and replacement with rock riffles; one option discussed would lower the upstream water level by about two feet, though staff emphasized the study is preliminary and that several alternatives that do not lower the upstream level are also being examined. The engineer said Houston Engineering intends public outreach and will return with options for local review.
The engineer also briefed the board on other items: a plan to build another snow push blade for motor graders, looking for a wheel-loader blade for lot cleanup, and routine maintenance work completed during warmer December weather. He told the board the county will send striping and sealcoat plans to state aid for approval so the county retains the option to use construction or maintenance dollars depending on winter conditions.
Board members asked questions about the schedule and wetland mitigation related to proposed changes to pool elevation; engineering staff said wetland mitigation and coordination with other agencies is part of project planning.
