County services during COVID-19 have been a topic of discussion for the past several months.
The majority of Highway Department activities have proceeded as planned despite the pandemic. South Shore Drive (CSAH 18) was paved; the Two Island River Bridge on Cramer Road (CSAH 1) was replaced; the Gunflint Trail (CSAH 12) between Pine Mountain and Trout Lake Roads was repaved; and calcium chloride applications, culvert replacements and gravel resurfacing are well underway.
The big news for us has been the resignation of Shared Services Engineer Krysten Foster and the retirements of Maintenance Foreman Charlie Sawyer and Maintenance Worker 2 Mike (Ike) Kinderman. The Highway Department has felt the loss of these talented individuals deeply, and we are grateful that Interim Department Head Mike Tardy was able to work with us during the transition period.
Thankfully, the search process for these open positions went well, such that two new staff joined the department in early August and a third person was starting as this article was written. Greetings from Engineer Robbie Hass and Maintenance Supervisor Josh Dix follow.
Greetings from County Engineer Robbie Hass
Hello, Cook County!
I want to give a shout-out to everyone working at the Highway Department; I’ve come in asking a million questions and have gotten a million answers, which has made my transition into this role easier than it could have been. Thank you. This will be my first interaction with the public as a whole, so I want to give you a brief introduction of myself and my vision for the department going forward.
My wife and I moved up here a few weeks ago and have been treated with nothing but warmth and kindness since we arrived. I cannot stress how much that has meant to us.
Professionally, most of my career has been in highway bridge design in Minneapolis, either at a consulting company or with the MnDOT bridge office. Both places exposed me to projects of all sizes and gave me a sense of what it really takes to get a project done. Whether it’s a hundred-million-dollar light rail project or a culvert replacement, there is one thing in common: communication.
When I think about the future, I think about how to guide this department in a way that benefits the community, and that starts with communication. Being out on project sites and speaking with community members has provided me with a clear vision of what this community wants from us, and a 2019 survey further illustrates this point: 78 percent of respondents directed Cook County to work on existing infrastructure instead of adding new roads/projects. This overwhelming support for fixing and maintaining the existing transportation system speaks volumes to me, and that will be our focus going forward.
I look forward to serving this community and getting the chance to meet everyone. Please call us if you have any issues or if you have any questions or if you’d just like to say hello.
Robert (Robbie) Hass
Cook County Highway Engineer
Greetings from Maintenance Supervisor Josh Dix
Thanks for welcoming me here, Cook County.
I’m Josh Dix, your new highway maintenance supervisor. I’ve been on the job since August 3, and it’s been a great whirlwind of seeing all our roads, meeting lots of new people, and learning a ton from the crew here, especially Highway Maintenance Foreman Charlie Sawyer before his retirement last week.
I grew up in central Wisconsin in a small dairy farming town of about 400. After high school, I moved to the Twin Cities for college and lived there, for the most part, up until my move to Cook County. I’ve come here with my wife Kaylan and our two daughters, Anni and Lindy. We’ve been regular visitors to the family cabin on Devil Track Lake since 2005. The cabin has been in my wife’s family since the early 90s. I love winter, and I can’t wait to get the plows rolling, even though I’m guessing some folks will disagree with me on that.
“I have a horticulture degree and have been working for the street and storm water maintenance department at the city of Roseville for the last eleven years, the last six as the foreman. I’m excited to bring my experience to the highway department, with a focus on community service, financial balance, and environmental sustainability.
“We’re here to serve you, and I’m thankful to have been given the opportunity to do just that,” said Josh Dix, Cook County Highway Maintenance Supervisor.
Additional information about Highway Department services is available on the county website at www.co.cook.mn.us.
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