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Wapello County supervisors hear Secondary Roads update on foreman transition, drainage projects and budget shifts
Summary
At an April 21 work session, Wapello County supervisors were briefed on a new working foreman’s transition, weather-driven culvert and ditch repairs, an evaluated 8-foot-by-100-foot pipe for Little Soap Road, delayed grader delivery, and plans to reallocate budget line items for pavement and bridge needs.
Wapello County Board of Supervisors on April 21 received an update from Secondary Roads staff about personnel changes, maintenance priorities and budget adjustments.
Chair Darren Batterson opened the work session after roll call; Supervisor Bryan Ziegler moved to convene the meeting and Vice Chair Carrie Teninty seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Engineer Brad Skinner and Secondary Roads staff described the staged transition of Todd Glosser into the role of working foreman, with hands-on overlap and training alongside Scott Pilcher. Staff asked permission to have on-call messages forwarded to employees’ personal phones; Skinner cautioned that text messages do not forward the same way phone calls do and noted the sheriff’s department benefits from a single after-hours phone contact.
Staff identified several operational projects: crews continue to evaluate installing a large pipe described in the meeting as roughly 8 feet in diameter and about 100 feet long to address drainage, and Little Soap Road was singled out as needing a more durable fix than temporary rock. Options discussed included reshaping ditches to improve flow and, if warranted by a traffic study, lowering the speed limit; Skinner asked that a supervisor attend a follow-up meeting scheduled for April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
Recent weather has produced separated culverts, erosion on roadsides and tree-related issues, staff said, and crews have been prioritizing those repairs. Staff reported returning to finish surfacing work on Lake Road after standing water delayed completion on 140th, and they notified Burlington Northern about a sunken railroad crossing south of Agency on Cemetery Road.
On staffing and equipment, the new road grader’s delivery was estimated for October. No internal applicants responded to a posted mechanic position, so staff will advertise externally; staff also noted that Todd Glosser has 30 days to decide whether to return to a mechanic role, which could affect hiring needs. Karen Wilcoxson said she will send advertisements to the outlets Brad Skinner recommended.
Staff also reported receiving registered notices from transmission-line companies that may require right-of-way condemnation on some parcels. Skinner said the companies indicated they will repair any road damage caused by their work and that notices would be copied to all supervisors.
Budget discussion centered on built-in flexibility: staff said they move funds among roughly 12 line-item categories each year because weather and maintenance needs vary. Key near-term needs identified were pavement maintenance and rotary shavings; staff characterized bridge workload as manageable at ‘four or five’ projects per year but did not provide a specific dollar total.
Unresolved operational items flagged by staff included 'gray areas' in the TimeClock+ system that need clarification. The meeting closed at 12:50 p.m. after a motion by Vice Chair Teninty, seconded by Supervisor Ziegler, which passed unanimously.
The board scheduled a follow-up meeting on road projects for April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. and staff will circulate job advertisements and the registered notices from the transmission line companies.
