Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Road Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Marshall County supervisors and neighbors discuss planned repairs to 260th Street and Ridge Road
Summary
Marshall County officials and affected residents discussed planned drainage and roadway repairs to the 2600-mile segments of 260th Street and Ridge Road on May 27, 2026, including ditch regrading, driveway and culvert work, and possible easement acquisition; no formal action was taken at the special meeting.
Marshall County Board of Supervisors Chair Jarret Heil and County Engineer Paul Geilenfeldt met with residents on May 27, 2026 to review a planned road-improvement project affecting 260th Street and Ridge Road.
Geilenfeldt read a notice delivered to nearby property owners outlining the scope: cleaning and regrading ditches, reshaping driveways that impede maintenance, replacing most driveway culverts to match new ditch grades, improving the Ridge Road and 260th Street intersection, and raising road crowns and grades where needed. "I can promise you that wet weather will make our project messy," Geilenfeldt told residents, adding that the county will "work hard to control erosion and restore ground cover." He encouraged residents to contact him directly with questions and handed out business cards with his mobile and email.
Several residents from addresses along the two roads raised safety and drainage concerns, reporting erosion and instances of vehicles entering ditches because of poor drivability. Resident Mark Wyant, whose earlier public forum comments prompted the special meeting, and others asked for details about timing and how driveway adjustments would be handled. Geilenfeldt said Iowa Department of Transportation traffic counts show "more than 270 vehicles" travel the roads daily and that the county generally considers paving when counts reach about 150 to 200 vehicles per day.
Surveying and right-of-way work must precede construction, Geilenfeldt said; he estimated construction could begin after July 1, 2026 and last two to three weeks, weather permitting. He also noted that some redesigned ditch slopes may not be mowable and that the county may seek additional permanent easement near the Ridge Road/260th Street intersection to flatten the north slope.
The Board and staff said the repairs are "long overdue" and urged continued communication. Supervisors approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session (Goodman moved; Hibbs seconded; motion carried 3-0). The Board did not take formal action to authorize construction, acquire easements, or award contracts during the special meeting.
