At the September 3 board meeting ,a public hearing was set for September 24 at 10 a.m. for comment on the five year Capital Improvement Plan for roads and bridges (2025-2030), including the use of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funding. When LOST dollars are to be used, a public hearing is required. Without the availability of LOST dollars, more funds would need to come from levy dollars.
County Engineer Ron Gregg noted roads are rated based on average daily traffic (ADT) and pavement quality index (PQI). Funding for projects can come from state aid, state aid for municipal construction, township bridge replacement funds, special bridge bonding, LOST, Wheelage Tax, state park construction funds, and federal construction funding.
The CIP plan includes the replacement of the Peterson bridge on CSAH 25 in 2026 using federal funds in the amount of $6.1 million. The county applied for federal funding.
The five year plan is not a commitment but a planning tool. Gregg said when money is short things get moved around.
Gregg explained that originally LOST funds were used for three digit roads. The county has been getting caught up with improvements on three digit roads and is proposing using some LOST funds on state aid projects where state funding isn’t keeping up. The revenue raised from LOST is about $1 million per year.
Commissioner Randy Dahl asked about returning some blacktop roads to gravel. Gregg said even a poor hard surface road is better than a gravel road; gravel roads need constant maintenance.
Wheelage tax funds are used for preservation; this tax raises about $425,000 per year.
Gregg doesn’t plan for any full reconstruction projects, like had been done on portions of CSAH 1. He maintained we can do more with what we have without doing any full reconstruction projects, as they are very expensive. The Fillmore County road system consists of 482 miles of road. If the township roads are included there are 827 miles of road in the county.
Other Business in Brief
- The board approved the 2023 audit from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and the publication of the audit summary in the Fillmore County Journal.
- The resignation of Don Kullot, Emergency Manager/deputy Sheriff was approved with much thanks for his 24 years of service, effective October 18.
- Approval was granted for the promotion of deputy Timothy Melver from part-time to full-time, effective October 19.
- Paybook #16 in the total amount of $91,735.44 was approved for the jail project. County Administrator Bobbie Hillery said Phase I of the project is getting close to completion. Phase II is the remodel of the original building.
- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is requiring the sheriff’s server be on site by the end of this year. Hillery explained the new server has been in their plans and the budget. The server project for the sheriff’s office was approved and will cost up to $84,144.02.
- The installation of a badge reader for the election room door in the auditor/treasurer office was approved at a cost of $3,380.45. The badge reader will record who has accessed that room and when that individual went in and out of the room. Ballots are locked up in this room.
- Approval was granted to purchase cradlepoint connectivity devices to be used for the 2024-2026 elections. The total cost to be paid over the three-year period for 18 units is $11,970.
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