Clay County commissioners approve letter supporting BNSF grant to remove Dworth crossing

The Clay County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a letter of support for a Federal Rail Administration grant application submitted by BNSF on behalf of the City of Dworth, a project county staff said would remove a frequently blocked county railroad crossing in Dworth.

County engineer Justin Sorum told commissioners the application — referred to in the transcript as a "Chrissy" grant — is part of the Metro Rail study and that BNSF is covering the cost of the grant application. "If successful, this would eliminate a county crossing in Dworth," Sorum said, adding that the crossing is "constantly blocked." He described the proposed work as a needed safety and operations improvement for the area.

Commissioner Kavanagh moved that the board approve the letter of support; Commissioner Bear seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote. Commissioners framed the item as a collaborative effort between the city and county and said they generally support using grant funds to address such infrastructure constraints.

The action does not itself authorize construction funding; it records the county's formal support for the city's and BNSF's application. Staff did not describe subsequent county commitments if the grant is awarded. The board did not record a roll-call tally by name in the transcript; the motion was approved by voice vote.

The board took the vote after a brief presentation and moved on to the next agenda item.