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Commissioners to consider CSAH 8 bridge proposal

Historic bridge is closed, deficient

BROWN COUNTY — Brown County commissioners will consider a proposal to assist with an historic bridge alternatives analysis for the Eden Township bridge (CSAH 8) over the Minnesota River Tuesday.

Bridge 2110, aka the Franklin or Hale Bridge, is the last truss bridge in Brown County. Closed Aug. 1,2017, it is structurally deficient with a low sufficiency rating and a number of serious structural issues. The 250 foot long and 16 foot wide bridge was load posted at five tons for several years due to other structural problems.

Commissioners decided in February to accept federal off-system funds to pay 80 percent of eligible costs to replace the bridge. On July 24, commissioners approved hiring an historian to assist with the preparation of an historica alternatives analysis to explore alternatives for the bridge. Gemini Research proposed to perform the work of the historian for the project.

Commissioners will also consider:

• A Chemical Dependency Treatment Fund Annual Report and 2017 DAANES County Chemical Dependency Statistics.

• A Brown County Underage Substance Abuse Coalition presentation. Federal funding for the organization is ending. A committee is working on how the organization can continue in Brown County.

• Eliminating the Brown County childcare background study fee as of Jan. 1 or when the Department of Human Services (DHS) takes over background studies processing from counties.

• Eliminating the county childcare licensing fee as of Oct. 1 for new childcare providers and as of Jan. 1 for all licenses that expire after that date. Childcare licensing county revenue is about $5,000 a year.

• Authorizing the Brown County Auditor-Treasurer to enter in an agreement with Spyglass Group, LLC to analyze telecommunications service accounts to seek cost recovery, service elimination and cost reduction recommendations. The county is under no obligation to consider any suggestions provided and would not be responsible for suggestions not implemented.

Any fees payable to Spyglass wold be funds paid to the provider over the course of a year. Spyglass is only compensated once savings are realized and rates lowered.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the courthouse commissioner’s room.

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