Ramsey County approves multiple highway purchases, pays $436,782.78 chip-seal bill and raises Ramsey County 4 repair to $238,334.50

Ramsey County commissioners voted to approve a series of highway purchases and payments on Monday, including a $436,782.78 payment to Morris Sealcoat for 2025 chip‑seal work and a $238,334.50 revised estimate to repair soft spots on Ramsey County 4.

The actions were presented by Jason (staff member) from the highway department. Commissioners approved purchasing leftover class‑41 mix from Morris Sealcoat — described as “3 to 400 ton” at $23 per ton, an estimated $6,000–$8,000 — and accepted bids for other maintenance work: a 6‑inch asphalt floor for the salt shed from Tri State Paving for $19,040, paver‑patch work (five sites) for $49,823, and 1,300 yards of gravel from Close Construction at $15 per yard ($19,500 delivered). The commission also approved payment to Johnson Excavating of $11,000 for a completed culvert replacement and authorized payment of $32,217.78 to Dauman/Dolman Services for pavement marking after chip sealing. The county approved purchase of a STEP 600‑gallon road‑oil machine, quoted at $58,003.45, to replace aging equipment.

Why this matters: The votes authorize funds and contracts that county staff said are needed to keep roads passable and to complete chip‑seal and culvert work from recent repair seasons. Jason told the board most of the purchases are budgeted for 2025; he also said there are available funds from previously set‑aside FEMA money to cover additional work on Ramsey County 4.

Discussion and technical details: The largest technical debate centered on “soft spots” on Ramsey County 4. Staff reported original quotes assumed a 12‑foot fabric width but on site found fabric now comes in 15‑foot rolls, forcing wider cuts and additional material. Staff presented three price options: (a) widen cuts to use 15‑foot fabric (raising the project to about $238,334.50), (b) accept a corrected intermediate price of about $209,000, or (c) proceed with original quantities but accept wasting roughly $10,000 of material (about $198,000 total). Staff recommended using the 15‑foot rolls rather than cutting and wasting material; the commission voted to change the project to the $238,334.50 scope. Jason said the county has funds available from FEMA money on hand to cover the work and emphasized the fixes would address the worst spots rather than the entire length of the road.

Votes at a glance: Most routine bids and purchases were approved by voice vote. Where roll calls were recorded, all four commissioners voted aye. Specifically, the payment to Morris Sealcoat for $436,782.78 passed on roll call (Frith aye; Volk aye; Wilhelmi aye; Gessner aye). The $238,334.50 change order for Ramsey County 4 passed by voice vote. The 1,300‑yard gravel purchase and the paver patches and salt‑shed asphalt bids all passed by voice vote.

Quotations and attributions: Jason described the fabric issue and the cost options, saying the rolls “only come now in 15 feet” and that widening the cuts would “cost us around $40,000 more.” On funding he said, “we do have the money for this from the FEMA money that we have on hand.”

What’s next: Staff said they will return with updates at the next meeting on the soft‑spot repairs and schedule details for the work. Several equipment purchases were described as budgeted for 2025 and would be removed from the 2026 budget once completed.

Ending: The highway department’s set of approvals consolidates multiple small‑contract decisions into a single action block intended to keep this year’s road‑repair program on schedule.