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Todd County narrows strategy to speed County Road 81 paving, directs staff to add top projects to five‑year plan
Summary
After a multi‑hour work session, the Todd County Board of Commissioners directed staff to pursue funding options that would bring projects ranked 4–6 into the county’s five‑year road plan and return with cost and funding scenarios in February; County Engineer estimated paving County Road 81 would cost about $1.1–$1.2 million.
County officials spent more than two hours Dec. 2 weighing tradeoffs and funding options for accelerating road projects — chiefly County Road 81 — and asked staff to model concrete budgets that would move a small group of prioritized routes into the five‑year plan.
County Engineer Lauren Bellbomer told the board the most recent engineering estimate to pave County Road 81 with a 3½‑inch asphalt lift is about $1.1 million (the presentation recommended budgeting $1.2 million). "We estimate with current prices somewhere between $1 to $1,200,000 ... We'd recommend ... we'd have a budget of at least $1,200,000 to move forward with this project," she said.
The discussion examined how the county’s project‑scoring system (termini, average daily traffic, number of residences, governing‑body recommendation and resident petitions) recently moved Road 81 from rank 9 to rank 6 after a resident petition and a commissioner’s recommendation. Commissioners and staff reviewed five near‑term funding options for an immediate 2026 paving project: use local option sales tax revenues, draw on the road & bridge cash balance (with reserve implications), transfer from the general fund, use Long Prairie shop savings, or combine sources. Longer‑term choices discussed included raising the levy, using funds freed when debt payments end in 2027, bonding or assessing benefited owners.
Board members debated the merits of bonding, internal loans, targeted assessments and the practicalities of bundling projects into a contractor bid to reduce mobilization costs. Public Works explained that many construction savings are state‑aid dollars held at the state until pay requests are submitted, and that patching contracts (about $350,000) cover several maintenance activities.
Faced with competing priorities, the board directed staff to focus on advancing the projects ranked roughly 4 through 6 into the five‑year plan and to prepare funding scenarios for a February work session. Chair (speaking during the session) summarized the direction as a practical stake in the ground: pick the set to pursue and return with options over a multi‑year horizon.
Next steps: engineers will return with cost estimates and concrete funding options in February so the board can decide whether to use a mix of local option sales tax, reserve balances, debt‑payment reallocation or other internal mechanisms.
The board did not adopt a single funding path during the meeting; it instead asked for staff analysis and a firm timetable for implementation and budgeting in early 2026.
