Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Woodbury County engineer outlines storm response; officials seek funding for radios and equipment storage
Summary
County Engineer Laura Severs reported widespread storm damage to roads, park facilities and county equipment; she described road closures, downed trees and damaged salt/sand sheds and urged the board to pursue funding for radios and a new mobile shop to protect equipment and improve emergency communication.
Woodbury County Engineer Laura Severs told the Board of Supervisors the county began responding to a severe storm Sunday night and is continuing cleanup and repairs. Crews closed roads where downed power lines presented hazards, pushed and removed fallen trees, and are addressing washouts and scattered infrastructure damage.
Severs said crews worked overnight and into the following days: "We worked until we were probably too exhausted to be out anymore," she said, describing efforts to clear roads and prioritize safety. She identified damaged county facilities including sand-and-salt sheds in Pearson and Moville and roof damage at the engineer's building in Moville, and said some culverts were lost in high winds.
Severs recommended pursuing funding for radios and a mobile shop to protect equipment during emergencies. "Could my budget afford these radios so that we could connect? Yes. That would be a big bite for us," she said, noting that better foreman radios would improve field communications when cell service is unavailable.
Chair thanked Severs and members described volunteer and mutual-aid cleanup efforts in towns including Salix, Moville, Lawton and Correctionville. Supervisors also discussed asking the E-911 board about covering radio purchases for jailers and sheriff's staff to improve responder communications during outages.
