The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 6 to accept completion of the Dubuque Road box culvert replacement and to authorize final closeout payments, and the board approved a claims resolution that included several larger expenditures.

County engineer Cathy (Cathy/Catherine) Nicholas presented before the board and showed before-and-after photos and a video of the work. She said the project replaced an aging box culvert that had been rated "poor" in a 2023 inspection and described the replacement as twin reinforced concrete box culverts (each chamber about 12 feet wide and 8 feet high, with an overall length of roughly 86 feet). Nicholas told the board the county is "expecting a 75 year life with this new culvert in place." The project was performed by Kaye Construction (listed in the packet as K Construction Inc.); staff reported the contractor finished within about 2% of the contract cost and recommended final acceptance and release of retainage.

The board approved the statement of completion and final acceptance and directed a final payment of $15,150.35 with a reported total project cost of $495,774.71. The project contract was reported at $505,011.69 in the meeting materials.

Separately, the county's financial staff presented a claims resolution totaling $1,111,597.11 and identified several larger payments included in the batch: Peters Construction (server room project) $19,787.31; Pinecrest HVAC upgrade $300,708.95; jail HVAC project $111,295.35; and a payment to the city of Cedar Falls for Viking Road paving of $350,000. The auditor's office said most items appeared in order and recommended approval; the board approved the claims resolution by roll-call vote.

No board member moved to withhold final payment or assess liquidated damages; Nicholas said no liquidated damages were assessed and that the contractor finished on time. The board also approved routine Title VI coordinator and assurance items required by the Iowa Department of Transportation so the county may continue to receive federal transportation funds.

What's next: County staff will process the final payment and close out the contract paperwork for the Dubuque Road culvert project; the county will submit annual Title VI assurances to the Iowa DOT to remain eligible for federal funds.