Humboldt County supervisors adopt 2024–28 safety plan, OK final road payments and ARPA split for Dakota City building

Humboldt County Board of Supervisors members at a regular meeting (date in packet not specified) adopted the Humboldt County Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) for 2024–2028 and approved several routine financial and right-of-way actions, including final payments on paving projects and a split payment for a Dakota City building using secondary roads and ARPA funds.

The SHSP adoption formalizes the county’s safety priorities and enables pursuit of grant funding for roadway improvements. Supervisors approved the resolution to adopt the plan by voice vote after a motion recorded as first by Supervisor Sandy and seconded by Supervisor Bruce; no recorded nay votes were announced.

County engineer report and paving retainage

The board approved release of $30,000 in retainage for three paving projects completed this year. The county engineer provided the line-item split included in the meeting packet: $2,982.25 on the local project, $11,848 on the STP (Surface Transportation Program) project and $15,168.81 on the farm-to-market project. Supervisors said they had inspected the roads and found the work satisfactory before the motion to approve the three final vouchers was adopted.

Utility work in county right of way

Supervisors approved an application from MidAmerican Energy to perform construction in the county right of way along the south end of Lone Tree Road. The work responds to a property owner’s recent fence installation that revealed one or two utility poles placed at or very near the fence line; the plan discussed in the meeting would re-span the line and relocate some poles about two feet to rest on county-owned right of way. County staff said the pole moves include replacing poles that were red-tagged.

Dakota City building voucher and ARPA split

The board authorized voucher number 3 for the Dakota City building and approved splitting payment between the secondary roads budget and ARPA funds. The accounting shown in the packet indicates secondary roads will cover $100,000 toward the new building in order to preserve ARPA allocations for conservation and bridge work; the motion was approved by the board.

Property tax matters and land sale condition

Supervisors approved two tax-related items discussed during staff reports: an abatement/cleanup of a removed mobile home on the Rick Carpenter property in Brackett (the assessed tax amount on the agenda was small, roughly $145 as presented in the packet) and a request related to three lots in Dakota City owned by Marlene Schneider. County staff said buyer Jason Dodd has arranged access through a vacated alleyway and Dakota City has indicated permission for access; the board voted to forgive $8,665 in penalties dating back decades if present taxes and publication costs ($2,628 listed in the packet as current taxes plus publication) are paid to bring the parcel current. Staff said they would obtain a written letter from the city confirming that the access arrangement will be honored before closing out the county’s tax-sale administrative steps.

Drainage and upcoming hearing

The board accepted and filed a commissioners’ report on drainage and set the appraisal-report hearing for January 6 at 9 a.m. (date and time announced at the meeting). County staff summarized recent drainage work including lining seven culverts and subsurface drain tile ranging from 12- to 24-inch diameter in an area described as DD 3. The engineer noted improved flow for adjacent farms and reduced risk to roadways following the lining work.

Agency presentation and other non-action items

Jody Creswell, chief financial officer for Elderbridge Agency on Aging, presented the agency’s annual report and requested funding. The packet notes a request for $9,030 this year, based on $3.20 per senior in the county; supervisors took the presentation under advisement but no county appropriation was recorded on the meeting minutes as approved that day.

Brush and weed control quote

Nate Reefer of a private brush-and-weed-control company presented a quote for next season’s roadside spraying and brush control. Packet materials included an estimated figure that appears as $43,043,393.50; board members noted that previous years’ actual spending for roadside spraying was closer to $30,000 and said they would review the quote and past invoices before taking a contract action. The company described its chemical choices, scheduling, and plans to split gravel-road spot treatments and full blanket spraying of paved roads; supervisors and staff said they would coordinate timing and public notice before spraying.

Other business and next steps

The board approved routine agenda items including claims and the November 18 minutes. A county staff member reminded supervisors that adoption of the SHSP will allow the county to seek grant funding for safety improvements. For the Schneider lots sale, staff will request a written city confirmation of access before final administrative action; the appraisal hearing set for January 6 will proceed per the published notice schedule. No substantive public comments were recorded during the meeting’s public comment period.

The board recessed into drainage business during the meeting and later moved to a closed session under the statutory citation read as "21.5" (closed-session authority listed on the record); the closed session was not public and no further action from it was reported in the public minutes portion of the meeting packet.

Reported amounts and procedural notes above are taken from the meeting packet and on-the-record remarks at the meeting; where packet figures appeared inconsistent with prior years’ totals (for example, the vendor quote that appears in the packet as $43,043,393.50 for roadside spraying), board members said they would review supporting invoices and return with a clarified figure.