County board approves multiple public‑works contracts and ratifies highway maintenance union agreement
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Summary
St. Louis County approved several public‑works contracts — aggregate crushing, grading/surfacing, railroad‑crossing planning, and Scandia Cemetery engineering design — and ratified a three‑year collective bargaining agreement for highway maintenance workers with phased wage increases and updated benefits.
The St. Louis County Board voted Wednesday to approve multiple public‑works contracts and to ratify a collective bargaining agreement covering highway maintenance employees.
Public Works presented bid awards for aggregate crushing contracts for the county’s south and north zones, noting four bidders and participation from several townships; the board approved awarding contracts to the recommended low bidders.
The board approved a grading and bituminous surfacing project sponsored by Breiding Township that will realign an intersection with Trunk Highway 169 using LRIP funds and a small township match.
For the Midway Road railroad crossing elimination planning work, the board approved an engineering services agreement with a joint venture (Bolton & Menk / LHB under the SambaTech team). The design and environmental planning contract is roughly $2.3 million; staff said about $1.8 million of that is expected from a Federal Railroad Administration planning grant, with state match and local aid covering the remainder.
The board also approved a design engineering services agreement with LHB for the Scandia Cemetery shoreline restoration to get the project shovel‑ready (design contract in the roughly $250,000 range). Commissioners asked technical and cultural‑resource questions — including whether to relocate remains or build a concrete retaining wall — and staff said they have engaged the University of Minnesota Duluth and the state archaeologist, have performed some DNA testing, and will assess the number of graves affected (staff estimated a minimum in the 40s) as part of the design process.
In central management, the board ratified the 2026–2028 Public Works Highway Maintenance collective bargaining agreement covering about 166 employees represented by Teamsters Local 320. Key terms recorded in the meeting: a 4% general wage adjustment for 2026 and 3% general wage adjustments in 2027 and 2028; safety shoe allowance increased to $250 annually; and negotiated language updates for vacation, personal leave accrual and state paid‑family‑leave matters.
What happens next: Public Works will execute the awarded contracts and proceed to design and public outreach for the railroad and cemetery projects; county administration will finalize labor agreement paperwork following ratification.
Reporting note: Financial figures and grant‑share estimates were supplied by staff during the meeting and are reported per the record; the Scandia Cemetery project remains in design and will require further cultural‑resource analysis.