Highway staff report flood damage and request $32,380 for road-inspection app

Highway staff reported widespread flooding across low-lying roads in the county and detailed immediate recovery work and upcoming needs.

"We had extensive flooding Monday night into Tuesday morning," Carl told the council, describing hard-hit areas (Southeast Township, Portis and Purdy streets) and crediting crews for restoring passable roads for the holiday weekend. Carl said crews posted high-water signs and worked long hours to prevent motorists from driving into hazardous conditions.

During the meeting Carl asked the council to give a verbal approval for a $32,380 purchase of Violet X, an automated road-inspection device and app that Carl described as a mobile, hood-mounted sensor system that records pavement condition and signage. "It's just an iPhone... it goes on the hood of your pickup truck and you drive the roads," Carl said when describing how the system captures pavement blemishes for pace rating and future work orders. He said the commissioners had already approved the purchase and requested the council’s verbal support; he identified the funding source as the highway restricted fund, which he said has a balance of a little over $2 million.

Carl also asked the council to support advancing $100,000 from the mobile road and tree account and $275,000 from the headed fund (to be split among the three districts) to buy road materials for planned summer work. Council members indicated they would review the request in the coming appropriation process; one council member said he was comfortable with drawing from restricted highway funds.

No formal ordinance or final appropriation was adopted during the meeting; staff said the items will appear on future agendas for formal action as required.