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Engineer outlines $312,000–$630,000 options to fix Drainage District 5 Lateral 1 tile
Summary
At a March 17 informational meeting in Emmetsburg, Jacobson-Westergard engineer Collin Klingbeil presented four repair and improvement options for Drainage District No. 5 Lateral 1 tile, with cost estimates from $312,000 to $630,000; the board said it will hold another meeting after pre-classification.
Linus Solberg, chair of the Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors, called the informational meeting on Drainage District No. 5 Lateral 1 tile to order at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday in the Emmetsburg courthouse and introduced the project engineer.
Collin Klingbeil, P.E., of Jacobson-Westergard presented the engineer's report and described the system's background and condition. Klingbeil said the lateral tile was originally placed in 1911 and that a petition to address the line was filed in June 2025. He reported that inspections last fall found the tile "not in good condition" and contaminated with sand, a long-standing problem for the lateral. Klingbeil also described wetlands-related complications and discussed the potential cost implications of conversion work.
Klingbeil outlined four options with estimated costs: Option 1, repair from the outlet to the lift station, estimated at $312,000; Option 2, a full repair, $380,000; Option 3, an improvement from the outlet near the Aldous property line followed by repair (18-inch tile estimated at $361,000; 24-inch tile $414,000); and Option 4, a full improvement (18-inch tile $556,000; 24-inch tile $630,000). Those figures were presented as engineer estimates in the meeting report.
Board members thanked attending landowners for participating and said the board would schedule another meeting after the project completes a pre-classification step required under drainage procedures. No formal repairs or funding decisions were made at the meeting. The session adjourned at 2:15 p.m. on a motion by Supervisor Ron Graettinger, seconded by Supervisor Keith Wirtz.
Next steps noted by the board: complete the pre-classification, then convene a follow-up meeting to review final project scope and costs and determine any formal actions or assessments.
