The Fillmore County Board considered access agreements for a bike trail and bridge bonding agreements at their February 6 meeting.
Highway Engineer Ron Gregg explained the bike trail agreements are with the Department of Natural Resources for access to the road right of way of CSAH 44 and 30 to extend the Harmony/Preston Valley State Trail to the Iowa state line and also include a spur to Niagara Cave. The county will not get any compensation for the use of its road right of way and will not invest any funds in the project. The agreements were approved as presented. A resolution was adopted that says the county agrees to allow the construction of the state trail within the road right of way.
The DNR working with the Harmony Trail Extension Coalition is ready to construct the trail.
Each of four State Bridge Bonding agreements were approved. The total of Local Bridge Replacement Program (LBRP) grants received by the county was about $1 million. Gregg said we enter into agreements with the state, if the funds are not all spent, we send the extra back and if the project goes over budget, we pay the difference. Bids for the four projects have been awarded.
A bridge (concrete slab bridge) to be replaced on CSAH 29 near the gun club north of Mabel is allowed $313,117.75 of LBRP grant funds. The county match funding is $366,336.75. Construction is to start in late July.
Another bridge (box culvert) to be replaced in Rushford Village on Village Rd. south of the junction of TH 16 will get $279,796.50 in LBRP funds and will require $10,000 in matching funds. Construction is to start in mid-May.
A bridge (box culvert) replacement project on CSAH 30 east of the junction of CSAH 30 and TH 139 will get $180,850 of LBRP funds and will require $230,889.50 in matching funds. Construction will begin in early June.
A bridge (box culvert) to be replaced on CSAH 12 west of the junction of CSAH 14 and CSAH 12 will get $102,752 in LBRP funding and will require a match of $141,012. Construction will begin in early June.
Gregg also said there were six bids for a bridge replacement project on CSAH 7. The low bid submitted by Minnowa Construction, Inc. in the amount of $303,951.25 was approved. The engineer’s estimate for the project was $417,293.
Approval was granted to purchase a used Vermeer vacuum pump at a cost of $67,721 from RDO Equipment Co. Brent Kohn, Highway, explained that the equipment will save a lot of time especially when locating fiber phone lines.
Other Business in Brief
- A Prosecutor Agreement with the city of Harmony was approved.
- An amendment to the Fillmore County Zoning Ordinance, Section 610.04 was approved as recommended by the Planning Commission. Land use director Blake Lea explained this will add language back into the ordinance that was there prior to the adoption of the new flood plain maps. New dwellings are not allowed in the 100-year flood plain.
- Two $100,000 CDs were maturing. The board voted to place the funds ($200,000) in a CD at First National Bank with a 5.11% interest rate.
- Stefan Holets was hired as a replacement property appraiser effective February 20.
- Approval was granted to move the assessor position from grade 15 to grade 17 as recommended by David Drown & Associates.
- Approval was granted to contract with Steve Hacken for Assessor Contracted Services at $100 per hour. He is expected to work two to three days per week to provide leadership after the resignation of Jason McCaslin is effective later this month. Department of Revenue requires the office to have a certified person in place.
- A list of members for boards, commissions, and task forces for 2024 was approved.
- The per diem for Planning Commission members was raised to $100 per day. The per diem for other committee assignments will be discussed during the budgeting process.
- During the Citizens Input portion of the meeting Bonita Underbakke said she was in favor of per diem compensation to encourage people to participate in public service and to fill openings in committees.
- Approval was granted to require mental health training provided by four social services members for all Fillmore County employees. The county has the resources for the training which will be free and take three to four hours.
- Paybook #9 for the jail project in the total amount of $552,785.74 was approved per construction manager, Contegrity Group.
- The board will meet next on February 13.
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