Joelle Vanderlinden, Load Pass permit operator, told the Griggs County Commission on Dec. 22 that Load Pass is a uniform online permitting system for oversized, overweight non‑divisible loads and their routes. She said the system moves permitting from paper to an online GIS route map, provides turn‑by‑turn routing, supports notifications to subscribed users, and gives a law‑enforcement access portal so deputies can confirm permits by plate or company name.

Vanderlinden said the system has been in use since an online rollout in 2010 and that participating counties sold "over 116,000 permits" in the most recent fiscal reporting period; she said Load Pass distributed about "$21,000,000" to participating counties and municipalities. She outlined permit types — trip permits, restricted road permits, excess permits, seasonal and optional permits such as harvest and wintertime — and said the platform is converting fee schedules from gross‑vehicle‑weight to axle‑weight calculations after the spring frost season.

The operator described implementation details: townships do not automatically join when a county enrolls (joining townships requires a separate county‑township contract), the typical township/county revenue split is 80% to townships and 20% to the county, and membership requires an initial setup and training fee. Vanderlinden described tiered annual fees based on permit volume and said the typical onboarding timeline is about 30 days if county staff can provide road and structure data promptly.

Commissioners asked operational and enforcement questions. They asked whether drivers can use a phone app to view restrictions and whether leased trucks or returning empty trucks could avoid restrictions; Vanderlinden answered that subscribers can save the web map on a phone, the map shows restricted (red) segments and notices, and permits are tied to the traveling unit’s license and axle/bridge configuration. She said the system can auto‑approve permits below set thresholds and can be set to require manual approval during events such as rain or frost, and that LEAP can be used to check whether a unit or plate has a current permit.

Commissioners also discussed staffing and authority: the county must designate one or two approvers for permits during business hours (admins receive email/text alerts), and the board can choose whether to retain approval authority at the commissioner level or delegate to staff. One commissioner proposed a motion on the record that "the commissioners approve all permits," but the transcript records no second or final vote on that motion.

The commission agreed to keep Load Pass on the agenda for the Jan. 5 meeting for further discussion and asked staff to circulate membership forms, sample township letters and draft contracting language ahead of that meeting.

The presentation and Q&A left several operational items for follow‑up: confirming which county staff will be the designated approvers, whether townships will be asked to sign contracts, and whether the county will require contractor‑funded monitoring for large upcoming projects. Vanderlinden provided contact information and encouraged staff to review the shared materials and the map before the next meeting.