Oneida County Public Works Committee defeats motion to forward Willow Road transfer after members cite large reconstruction costs

The Oneida County Public Works Committee voted on April 30, 2026 not to forward a request from the towns of Lynne and Minocqua to transfer Willow Road, Pine Lake Road and Squirrel Lake Road to the county highway system after members raised concerns about reconstruction costs and funding eligibility.

Jeff Brown, representing the Town of Lynne, told the committee the three roads total about 12.45 miles and that the town planned to repair roughly 4 miles but could not afford full reconstruction of the remaining sections. Brown said heavy forestry traffic and seasonal weight limits have worsened the roads; he described ruts as deep as four and one-half inches and estimated it would cost the town about $350,000 simply to peel the existing blacktop prior to reconstruction. Brown said the road was not eligible for ARIP funding because the Wisconsin Department of Transportation classifies it as a major collector and would not reclassify it.

Interim Highway Commissioner Ben Rich cautioned that while the county would receive general transportation aid for the approximately 27.9 miles involved, full reconstruction would be an “enormous cost” for the county. Rich outlined additional cost drivers including an existing bridge in the Town of Lynne, multiple culverts (six to 20 feet in size) and hundreds of smaller culverts along the routes. He said the County would not have access to significantly more funding than the towns and noted that distance from the Minocqua shop could require a remote maintenance shed and equipment staging.

Committee members debated next steps. Bob Almekinder said a decision should wait for further discussion; Billy Fried said the transfer would shift burdens from the towns to the county and indicated he would support the towns in making their case to the county board. Dan Hess moved, and Almekinder seconded, to send the jurisdictional-transfer request to the county board for further discussion. Chair Ted Cushing recommended voting the motion down and bringing the item back on a future agenda so the committee could develop cost estimates and meet with townships. The motion was defeated; no transfer was forwarded to the county board at this meeting.

The committee concluded by recommending that town representatives be invited to a future meeting, and by suggesting attempts to (1) have the roads reclassified by DOT or (2) seek changes to ARIP eligibility criteria. No timetable or funding commitment for reconstruction was approved.

What happens next: The committee did not move the transfer forward but asked staff to pursue additional information and to reconvene the topic at a future meeting after cost estimates and discussions with the towns and state agencies.