Highway director summarizes 2025 work; board accepts annual report

Highway staff presented the department’s 2025 annual report and several project highlights. Justin summarized major projects, including the Casa 3 reconstruction, a roughly $3.35 million job that leveraged $500,000 in local road improvement grant funding, and the joint East School Boulevard roundabout project the county delivered with the city and a $1.5 million local road improvement allocation.

Justin also noted the department completed about 14 miles of pavement-preservation projects last year and recorded roughly $1,370,000 in snow-and-ice-removal expenses for county and state-aid routes. Staff described efforts to seek state and federal funds for upcoming projects, and reported moderately improved bid competitiveness that helped lower some costs on recent bids such as the government center parking-lot project.

The board asked about long-term cost pressures and the county’s approach to capital prioritization; commissioners requested that the budget committee review CIP priorities in more detail ahead of the 2027 budget cycle. The board then voted to accept the 2025 highway department annual report.

"The big note on that project was, we were able to secure $500,000 in local road improvement grant money," Justin said, describing the Casa 3 reconstruction. Board members praised staff for the report and the work completed during the year.