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Engineering department reports paving, drainage repairs and online permit rollout
Summary
Washington County engineering staff reported quarterly activity including 16.31 miles of roadway work, procurement of ~23,000 tons of base material, major culvert replacements after recent floods, and rollout of an online work-order and permit system. Staff said some bridge projects remain on multi-year schedules.
County engineering staff presented their quarterly report on June 9, highlighting road, drainage and technology work underway and planned.
Leslie (Engineering & Development Services) summarized operational metrics: 322 work orders for the quarter, 125 on-site sewage facility (OSSF) permits through May (about 25 per month) and mapping of approximately 124 miles of roadway toward a year-end goal. The county procured about 23,000 tons of limestone base material and reported 16.31 miles of roadway worked with 2.37 miles paved so far in 2026.
The department detailed post-flood drainage projects including the replacement of collapsed culverts on Old Independence and other roads with reinforced concrete box culverts (the team noted the assembled box covers weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds). Leslie said the replacements restored roadway integrity and that smaller contractor tasks (guardrail and fencing) remain.
Staff also reported progress on subdivision reviews, procurement and a shift toward more aggressive paving windows despite variable weather. Vacancies remain for one shop technician and one equipment operator, and the department plans to continue recruiting. The county's online work-order system is live and will allow requesters to receive automated updates; the permit system is expected to begin public use within a month.
Leslie said the department is pursuing interlocal agreements with neighboring jurisdictions to coordinate bridge and drainage work and noted that bridge projects estimated in 2022 now carry higher cost estimates, pushing some projects into 2027. County staff said they will bring formal contracts for large bridge work once funding and schedules are confirmed.
Commissioners asked about public communication; staff agreed to coordinate a press release and social-media guidance explaining the new online work-order and permit features.
