Commissioners approve calcium-chloride purchase, advertise highway bids and set sales-tax meeting

The Koochiching County highway department on April 28 won board approval for a series of maintenance projects and a chemical purchase to treat gravel roads.

Engineers presented the annual striping project (CP 2026-01) covering approximately 33.42 miles, with epoxy grinding planned on a high-traffic segment to improve paint durability. The board authorized advertising for that project and the annual crack-sealing and mastic-repair project (CP 2026-02), which engineers estimated at roughly $338,878.75; staff said they expect competitive bids and noted budget adjustments may be necessary.

The board also approved contracting with Edwards Oil for calcium chloride at $169 per gallon with an application fee of $120 per hour. Highway staff explained prices rose from $1.49/gal in 2024 to current levels and that nearby counties secure lower prices by buying much larger volumes. The county estimated typical annual volume of 25,000–30,000 gallons and discussed logistics for truck application times and variable road conditions.

On funding, the highway director asked the board to set a public meeting to update the local option sales tax project list. Commissioners agreed to hold a public meeting at 9:00 a.m. on May 26 (ahead of the regular board meeting) to present about 16 projects and to prepare required advertising; staff noted a Department of Revenue clarification on expiration rules for transportation-related local-option sales taxes.

Ending: The board approved the procurement steps and set the May 26 project-list meeting; staff will advertise bids and publish meeting notices as required.