Commissioners approve resurfacing of Loop Road under $60,000 from jail budget to ready route for new facility

The Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 11 to accept a resurfacing quote to repair Loop Road, the access route to the county jail, and agreed the work will be paid from the jail budget. Commissioners said repairing the road is necessary before the jail becomes operational in 2026 and that construction season timing made prompt action important.
Why it matters: The roadwork is tied to getting the jail fully functional. Commissioners said delay risks loss of seasonal pricing and could prevent completion before winter.
Commissioners discussed that Loop Road is technically a township road and that Ward Township lacks funds to pay for resurfacing. The county engineer and trustees cooperated on the plan; the county's engineer agreed to perform culvert and ditch work. A commissioner moved to accept the contractor McKee's quote (the motion specified an amount under $60,000); another commissioner added that costs should come from the jail budget. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioners said they expect the company to complete work before the season change and asked county staff to proceed with scheduling.
The vote authorized work to proceed with McKee under the stated budget cap and directed county finance to charge the expense to the jail budget. Commissioners cautioned that the approval should not establish a precedent for routinely paving township roads but said this was a unique circumstance tied to the new jail project.