Griggs County approves payments and engineering agreement for Hannaford Road; signs support letter for Hannaford flex grant

Griggs County commissioners on Aug. 25 approved administrative steps to advance the Hannaford Road improvement and related work and signed a county letter backing a separate Hannaford flex grant application.

County staff presented progressive estimate No. 1 for the Hannaford Road project — covering removals, erosion control, traffic-control signs and haul-route chloride — and requested the county sign the estimate for payment. Commissioners noted the estimate had already been included in the bills list and voted to authorize county signature. "They've got the geogrid there ready to reinforce the subgrade," a county project manager said, describing plans for a substantial base and about 4½ inches of fiber‑reinforced asphalt.

Commissioners also approved a construction engineering services agreement that staff said the state had already reviewed and prefilled with the chairman's name; the county noted that the agreement is 100% reimbursable. "That is a 100% reimbursable as well," staff said during the motion and subsequent voice vote approving the chairman's signature.

Staff reported a few adjustments to the work near the post office: removing existing concrete up to the building, installing a new ADA ramp to the street instead of restoring a driveway, and providing temporary access through the fire hall while concrete work is underway. The contractor plans to install a storm‑sewer inlet this week and then proceed with geogrid and salvage base placement before curb and gutter and final paving.

Separately, staff said the county's seal‑coat project, including fog seal and striping, is complete and that final vendor certifications and a small number of remaining invoices are pending.

On a related local initiative, the board voted to sign a county letter of support for a Hannaford application to a flex grant that would help pave streets in town that were not finished in an earlier project. Staff said the letter was drafted with Chair Scott's name prefilled; the motion to sign the letter passed by voice vote. Commissioners noted the difficulty small towns face over higher maintenance costs for pavement compared with gravel despite the community benefits of paving.

What happens next: staff will finalize signatures for the progressive estimate and engineering agreement and continue to monitor outstanding vendor certifications and invoices. The Hannaford flex grant application will carry the county's letter of support to the program evaluators.