Secondary‑roads staff report Rice Lake FDR done, test gravel stabilizers and spot spraying plan

Ethan Shutter, speaking for the county engineer in his absence, updated the board on secondary‑road projects and roadside maintenance. He reported FDR work at Rice Lake is finished and crews completed dust‑control/gravel stabilization on the last mile and a half at Ice Lake. "FDR is done out at Rice Lake," he said, and crews are awaiting vendor confirmation on alternative products for a test section near Buffalo Center.

Shutter described two candidate products for gravel stabilization and said the county will try multiple treatments to compare results. He also reported crews are finishing black‑top mowing and plan to begin gravels and ditch mowing in the coming week. "We'll hopefully start mowing towards the end of this week and next week on gravels," he said.

On noxious weeds and invasive plants, Shutter said the contractor began spraying roadsides yesterday and expected to move from weeds into spring brush work within days. Residents and supervisors discussed roadside parsnip control and the tradeoffs between early mowing and herbicide application; one participant noted studies showing mowing can be as effective as spraying to prevent seed set if timed properly.

Shutter said the spraying contractor will target township priority areas and can be redirected to hot spots reported by citizens. He asked residents to send locations of concern so crews can prioritize. The board noted the need to balance labor and fuel priorities during spring road work and to consider tools like mowers fitted to maintainers for efficiency.

No formal action or funding decision was taken; Shutter's report closed with staff saying they will follow up on product selection and scheduling of mowing and spraying.