Dunn County Highway Committee approves five-year road and equipment plans, forwards seasonal weight-limit ordinance

The Dunn County Highway Committee on Feb. 11 approved its proposed five-year road-and-bridge program and five-year equipment plan and forwarded a seasonal weight‑limit ordinance and two resolutions to the county board.

Committee members voted to accept the five-year capital road-and-bridge improvement plan for 2027'231, which staffs said emphasizes about 16'17 miles of paving annually to sustain a 25-year pavement life. Speaker 1 told the committee that the 2028 program could total about $6.8 million before potential state or federal grant offsets. "If we were allotted that project [County Road B], we might only have to pay $400,000," Speaker 1 said, referring to potential grant funding that would reduce county share.

The committee also approved the five-year equipment replacement plan, which staff said is dominated by plow trucks and graders and may require adjusting replacement cadence to fit budgets. Speaker 1 explained staff are evaluating whether the county needs five graders in total, and said "I've already made an executive decision. We don't need 5 graders." The equipment plan passed by voice vote.

On fiscal items, the committee reviewed and approved highway vouchers after questions about a roughly $4,700 subscription line (staff said it was for fleet-maintenance software). The panel approved Resolution 2026 (budget carryover for County Highway C construction) and a resolution urging the Wisconsin Counties Association and state legislators to explore long-term highway-funding options, including registration-fee or gas-tax adjustments.

The committee moved and passed a proposed ordinance (chapter 11.11) to establish seasonal weight restrictions (a 5-ton-per-axle and 25-ton gross configuration limit on restricted roads), with statutory exemptions for emergency response, school buses and certain utility and septic operations. The ordinance includes a $20 single-trip permit and a $50 permit for long-term oversized/overweight use. Speaker 1 said that permits for emergency restoration would be handled under statutory exemptions and that the committee would try to coordinate timing with neighboring counties. Committee members approved forwarding the ordinance to the county board and asked staff to seek to waive the second reading at the county board so restrictions could be in place before seasonal bans are posted.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for March 11 at 8:00 a.m. and adjourned.