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Commissioners consider borrowing ahead for roads

NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners will consider borrowing ahead on state aid surface rehabilitation projects on County State Aid Highways (CSAH) 8, 10, 11, and 24, Tuesday.

Projects including CSAH 8 from CSAH 24 to Trunk Highway (TH) 68, CSAH 10 from CSAH 27 to 29, CSAH 11 from CSAH 24 to TH 14, CSAH 24 from CSAH 16 to 8 & CSAH 24 from CSAH 11 to 13 are planned for cold, in-place recycle and overlay surface rehabilitation. The five highway segments have many pavement cracks causing the need to rehabilitate pavement.

The projects are being bid in two options. Option A is all the projects. Option B leaves out CSAH 24 from CSAH 11 to CSAH 13. Brown County will be bonding $5 million for the surfacing projects.

The engineer’s estimate for Option A is $1.2 million higher than the proposed bond while Option B is $200,000 higher than the proposed bond. The Highway Department is anticipating good bids like last year and would like commissioners to consider Option A if bids are favorable for several reasons:

• The CSAH 6/13 grading projects are anticipated to cost less than budgeted, freeing up some state aid funds for surfacing projects.

• The CSAH 6/13 projects will be done in late summer and fall.

• Brown County can borrow up to $2 million ahead from state aid at no cost. Thirty-four counties borrowed about $42 million in 2016 and state aid still ended the year with a $115 million balance. State aid requires a $40 million balance leaving $75 million available for counties to borrow ahead.

• The County retains five percent until the final payment for all projects. Surfacing projects would retain about $300,000 until final payment in December or January. New allotments are dispersed in February.

• The highway department would also like to borrow ahead in 2018 for surfacing projects. It plans to catch up in 2019 when it has a big CSAH 29 surfacing project using sales tax funds. Not many state aid funds are planned for 2019.

Commissioners will also consider:

•A new guardianship contract with Prairie Support Services, Walnut Grove. Brown County is responsible to provide guardianship services to individuals 18 and older who are indigent, determined to be incapacitated and do not have family or an informal support system willing or able to provide these services to them.

Brown County has had a contract with Lutheran Social Services for many years but positive references have been received for Prairie Support Services and their fees are cost effective, although set up differently.

Prairie Support Services charge $25 per hour for services, $15 per hour travel time and bill actual costs for mileage, meals and long distance calls. Lutheran Social Services (LSS) charges $56.56 an hour with no out-of-pocket expenses.

An additional provider will allow Brown County the option of paying them instead and reducing fees to LSS. Brown County Family Services is near capacity with 38 maximum clients at LSS. An additional contract will create an alternative option, and to compare rates and services after the contract year.

• A $5,577 additional salary market adjustment (plus general increase) to County Assessor Anne Grunert effective Jan. 1, 2018. The board chair and vice chair met with Grunert Feb. 7 and reviewed results of an updated 15-county survey for the position for 2017. The adjustment resulted from the discussion.

Grunert’s base salary remains at Grade XVIII and will continue annual step movement according to policy.

The board meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the courthouse commissioners room.

Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.

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