Grant County approves $534,884 in highway equipment purchases and awards Pelican Lake culvert contract

Elbow Lake, Minn. — At its Jan. 20, 2026 meeting the Grant County Board of Commissioners approved a package of highway actions, including budgeted equipment purchases and a construction contract for a Pelican Lake Township culvert project.

Commissioner Troy Johnson moved to approve Grant County Highway budgeted equipment purchases totaling $534,884.00; Commissioner Bill LaValley seconded the motion, which carried. The board recorded that the purchases were budgeted items intended for routine county road operations.

The board also awarded the Pelican Lake Township culvert bridge on 280th Street to Joe Riley Construction for $82,979.00. Commissioner Troy Johnson made the motion and Commissioner Bill LaValley seconded; the motion carried.

Commissioner Bill LaValley moved and Commissioner Doyle Sperr seconded approval of the 2025 traffic marking final payment of $2,490.65; the board carried the payment. Separately, the board approved a 2027 Letter of Intent with Tow Master to outfit the scheduled 2027 snow plow purchase, a nonbinding step to reserve outfitting services ahead of equipment acquisition.

Why it matters: These approvals authorize near‑term road maintenance work and reserve vendor support for scheduled equipment replacement, using previously budgeted funds. The road projects and equipment purchases are part of the county’s routine capital and maintenance program for road safety and winter operations.

What happens next: Procurement and contracting steps follow the board’s approvals: Joe Riley Construction will proceed under the awarded bid for the Pelican Lake culvert project, county highway staff will complete the equipment purchasing process, and staff will pursue the Tow Master outfitting arrangement tied to the 2027 plow purchase.