Roads staff lay out five-year plan as commissioners press for fixes to failing patches on 290th

Road and Bridge staff presented a written five-year road maintenance plan showing planned miles for blade patching, chip seal and gravel rebuilds. Staff emphasized material and fuel cost increases (roughly 9'10% on blade patch materials) and described equipment plans, including motor-grader lease purchases and a rebuilt-motor-grader program with three-year, zero-interest payments.

Commissioners and staff discussed a specific problem on 290th Street where repeated 2-inch overlays have not held. "2-in overlays have not worked anywhere other than maybe Indigo," a staff member said, and commissioners discussed the cost and feasibility of removing asphalt and reconstructing the base. Overweight trucks were cited as a recurring cause of deterioration; commissioners discussed options such as portable scales and law-enforcement referrals but noted manpower and enforcement costs.

Staff recommended continued prioritization of base work in problem areas and offered to schedule a work session to align the five-year plan with board priorities. The commission praised the plan as a useful budgeting tool and discussed potential tradeoffs between miles maintained and increased unit costs.