County official outlines plan for jurisdictional transfer of County Trunk U; board discusses implications

Roland Hawk, Wood County Highway Commissioner, briefed the Grand Rapids Town Board on the County Trunk U (Eagle Road) reconstruction project and a proposed jurisdictional transfer for the right-of-way north of Highway 54.

Hawk said the village of Vernon has offered to accept jurisdiction of the reconstructed roadway through the village and that, if approved by the affected municipalities, the county would prepare legal descriptions and the transfer could become effective in 2027. "The village has agreed to accept that," Hawk said, adding that the transfer would not remove private property from town authority but would shift maintenance responsibilities (plowing, pavement repairs, storm-sewer upkeep, curb and gutter, and sidewalks) to the accepting municipality.

Board members discussed the financial trade-offs. Hawk noted a rough current general transportation-aid figure of about $2,000 per mile (he and others referenced values ranging from roughly $2,300 to a projected $2,700), and said municipalities with urbanized curb-and-gutter streets face additional sweeping and sump-inspection responsibilities. Several board members expressed concern about relinquishing a concrete, heavily used road for a relatively small per-mile aid figure; others favored the transfer because the town lacks equipment and staffing to maintain curb-and-gutter urban streets.

Hawk recommended drafting the jurisdictional-transfer documents and returning to the board in June for formal action, noting that the county would assist in preparing the resolutions and coordinate with the DOT for any required filings. The board did not take final action; Hawk said draft documents could be presented for approval at a future meeting.