Cook County Board of Commissioners accepted with regrets the resignation of County Highway Department Assistant Engineer Sam Muntean effective April 21. Muntean, who worked for Cook County for 2½ years, accepted the position of county engineer for Lac Qui Parle County in southwestern Minnesota.
County Engineer David Betts said Muntean had been with the highway department since October 2012. “He has proven to be an indispensable member of our staff and will be extremely difficult to replace,” said Betts.
Betts requested authorization to advertise to fill Muntean’s position, which was granted. Muntean’s last day will be April 21.
Gunflint project awarded to KGM Contractors
Betts asked the board to approve KGM Contractors’ bid of $2,047.778.01 to complete 3.73 miles of work on the Gunflint Trail from east of Fox Ridge Road to east of the intersection on County Road 92 [the old Gunflint Trail].
Although the bid was $330,000 over budget, Betts said KGM was the only bidder and the other two companies that normally bid these projects already have jobs for the summer.
“Despite the fact that we received only one bid, we recommend awarding the project to KGM Contractors of Angora, Minnesota, because we do not see any advantage to rebidding the project,” said Betts.
The job is expected to be finished by mid-August, but if it was re-bid, said Betts, it could take until late October and maybe not be able to be completed this year.
Plus, said Lisa Sorlie, the highway department’s secretary/book keeper, if no one bid on the job the county highway department would have to send back $500,000 in state aid funds that can only be used for this project.
KGM was the low bidder to crush gravel at $167,600. Betts also requested authorization to have KGM crush as much Class 1 gravel as the county had in its budget for gravel, and the board approved his request.
Culvert concerns in Hovland
Commissioner Frank Moe asked about a county culvert that was blocked and caused a Hovland resident’s yard, driveway and basement to fill with water. The flooding occurred after a rain, but it wasn’t a major weather event, said Moe.
Maintenance Director Russell Klegstad said the highway department had responded, bringing gravel to create a small berm to block the water while the culvert was being cleared. It took only 15 minutes from the time the berm was built for water to subside to a trickle into the basement.
Klegstad said the 4×4 foot culvert was too small and needs to be replaced with a larger one, but at this time there is no budget or time to plan for one. It had plugged, said Klegstad, because of ice on the bottom of the culvert and debris getting stuck in the culvert’s top half.
“I am asking you for an expedited plan to fix this,” said Moe, adding that for the last 10 years or so residents in the area have asked for the culvert to be replaced.
Betts said he doesn’t have the time or the staff needed to plan for an immediate fix, adding that it could cost about $250,000.
“We have two big bridges, the Junco and the Cross River bridges nearing collapse that we are working on. I’m short two people and I don’t see my staff getting better for at least a year.”
Betts suggested rolling this project into the upgrade of the Arrowhead Trail, which isn’t currently being planned. Moe said that was too long to wait.
A small culvert will be put in at the beginning of the homeowner’s driveway, said Klegstad, and that may provide some temporary relief.
Betts said he would submit a proposal to receive bridge bonding, “Otherwise we can’t afford to fix this.”
Betts added that the Minnesota Legislature only funded $20 million of the $60 million in requests it recieved for road maintenance in the last budget hearings.
Commissioner Garry Gamble asked Klegstad to make sure in the short term that the culvert was checked often to make sure it wouldn’t plug again.
Betts said that Kerrie Berg from Cook County Soil and Water was going to do a detailed watershed study of the area. He said he needed that information before he could make plans to replace the culvert.
Muntean cautioned, “If you upsize this culvert there will be some downstream impacts. There will be more water and as it goes downhill it will get faster and people below will be impacted.”
In other road related business
. The board authorized Klegstad to seek bids for 180,000 gallons of 38 percent calcium chloride that will be applied to keep the dust down on gravel roads. Bids should be received by May 13.
. Summer maintenance bids for special service tax districts were awarded to Mike Rose Excavating for the Evergreen Road; LaBoda Grading, Inc. for Voyageur’s Point; and Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. for Rosebush Hill and West Rosebush Lane for the summer. Because no bids were received for Mile-O-Pine Road, Betts received permission to rebid it.
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