Dunn County commissioners approve geotechnical borings and defer Scott Bice soil dispute to counsel

Dunn County commissioners on an unspecified date voted to fund four geotechnical borings (about $15,000) to evaluate a suspected slope failure on 114th Avenue after road staff warned an area “looked awfully suspicious” for slumping and could threaten the road alignment. Jeremy, the county road engineer, told the board the borings — roughly 50 feet deep — would identify the soil type and the likely failure mechanism to inform whether repair would be modest or require major relocation that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The borings were approved after commissioners discussed possible depths and outcomes and agreed that the engineering data were necessary before choosing a repair or relocation option. Jeremy said the county would place two or three borings in the slumping area and one further south to identify the limits of movement.

During the same agenda item, a landowner, Dean, presented photos and video alleging that Continental (a contractor) removed soil from a section line and dumped it on neighboring property, damaging trees and fences and raising concerns about right-of-way encroachment. The speaker asked the county to require restoration rather than cash compensation. Commissioners acknowledged earlier correspondence on the dispute and decided the issue should be revisited with legal counsel present.

The board moved to table the complaint to the Jan. 2 meeting and asked the county’s state’s attorney and the county engineer to attend so the commission could get legal advice and technical review before deciding next steps. No formal remedy was adopted at the meeting; commissioners requested additional documentation and counsel input for the next meeting.