At the June 12 County Board meeting, commissioners declared a State of Emergency due to significant damage to public property as a result of flooding caused by the heavy rains on June 9-10.
Emergency Manager Don Kullot reported that portions of the county received 5 to 8.5 inches of rain. In a letter to Joseph Kelly, director of Minnesota Department of Public Safety, a division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, it was stated that the county’s initial assessment revealed damages that met or exceeded 50% of the county federal damage indicator. The letter requests assistance “to conduct a Preliminary Damage Assessment for the State Public Assistance Program.”
Kullot said we will try to reclaim some of the damages, especially in Bristol and Forestville Townships. He has visited with several township supervisors. It has been estimated that Forestville Township suffered $42,000 in damages and Bristol Township about $62,000 in damages. The southern portion of County Road 30 sustained a lot of damage (estimated at $30,000). There is also some damage on County Road 8.
In order to get assistance from the state, proper documentation of the damage is needed. The letter will start the process to get the state to come and assess the damage.
Kullot also drew attention to a phenomenal loss of soil from agricultural fields. Chairman Mitch Lentz added that many county roads lost gravel shoulders, leaving a three-inch drop from the asphalt road surface.
Other business in brief
• Human Resources Officer Kristina Kohn reviewed proposed updates to seven county policies, including the following: Automated External Defibrillator policy, Code of Ethics policy, Tobacco Free Workplace policy, Fleet Vehicles policy, Grievances policy, Mileage and Travel policy, and Severance Pay policy. The county continues the process of updating its policies. Each of these had the first reading and any proposed changes have been made available to employees for comment. Each policy with changes will be brought back for a second reading to be considered for approval.
• Highway Engineer Ron Gregg reported he had one bid for a Local Road Improvement Project in Carrolton Township. Rochester Sand and Gravel bid the project on Goodview Rd. which leads to the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. With a bid of $538,564.50, Carrolton Township would be responsible for about $60,000 of that amount for the project on their township road. Gregg said the township is aware of the bid amount.
Gregg said a decision could be postponed until June 26, after bids for another project in the township are opened. No decision was made this day.
• Earlier this day, commissioners and Gregg toured the county shops. Commissioner Duane Bakke said there were a lot of small things that need repair including weather stripping, the replacement of overhead doors, cement repair, exhaust repair, and some outside apron repair.
County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman noted $20,000 has been budgeted for county shop upgrades. Bakke suggested this may need to be increased by about $10,000 in the coming budget.
The most expensive improvement will be at the Chatfield shop. Gregg said this shop is past its useful life. Commissioner Randy Dahl added it is a decent building, but needs to be bigger. Plow trucks won’t fit into the building.
• Vickerman commented we are coming into the budgeting season. She released a timeline. Departments will begin preparing their budgets for 2019 after July 10. Six months of financials will be available then to department heads for their review to help in preparation of next year’s budgets. Preliminary 2019 budget and proposed tax levy payable in 2019 will need to be adopted in the latter part of September.