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Wright County authorizes condemnation process to keep Highway 36 project on schedule
Summary
The Wright County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize starting a condemnation window for the Highway 36/Conroe 36 project to preserve roughly $4.2 million in federal funding and keep the construction schedule intact; commissioners said they expect to settle with property owners.
Wright County commissioners voted to start the legal window that would allow the county to access private property for construction tied to the Highway 36 (Conroe 36) project, officials said Tuesday.
Public works staff member Chad told the board the project carries about $4.2 million in federal funds, with the remainder of the budget to come from city contributions and local option sales tax. He said the step to begin the 90-day condemnation window is intended to avoid putting the federal funding at risk while the county continues negotiations with property owners.
The board moved and seconded a resolution to authorize the condemnation process and then voted in favor. The motion was presented as a measure to keep the project on schedule while staff pursue settlements with affected owners.
Chad said the condemnation step is a contingency to preserve grant and federal dollars, not a preferred first choice. "We have $4.2 million in federal funds," he said, and the county's practice is to try to settle without completing condemnation. Several commissioners thanked staff for outreach to owners and for trying to avoid litigation.
The vote recorded the motion as passed. The county did not provide detailed parcel-level information, tentative settlement amounts, or a final project timeline at the meeting. Next procedural steps are for staff to initiate the 90‑day process described and continue negotiations; the board did not set a separate follow-up meeting for that item during Tuesday's session.
