NEW ULM — Brown County Commissioners will consider awarding contracts to appropriate bidders contingent on City of Sleepy Eye approval, for CSAH 34 and CSAH 35 projects on Tuesday, June 15.

M.R. Paving & Excavating, Inc. bid $4,099,529.99 for the projects, 14.61% over the $3,576,810 engineer’s estimate. Projects will be funded with county regular and municipal state aid, wheelage tax, county and City of Sleepy Eye local funds in the current 10-year program.

Bids were opened June 9, 2021. Projects are scheduled to begin on or before June 28 and take up to 60 working days to complete. The highway department recommends the low bid.

The 0.847 mile CSAH 34 road segment is planned for mill and overlay surface rehabilitation with ADA pedestrian ramps. The segment was last surfaced in 1996. It has cracks, is weathered and in need of rehabilitation.

The 0.587 mile CSAH 35 road segment is planned for a complete reconstruct with ADA pedestrian ramps. Sleepy Eye will construct water main and sanitary sewer improvements. The segment was last surfaced in 1995 and has many cracks and weathering. Underground utilities are very old and need updating.

Commissioners will also consider:

• The appointment of full-time assistant license bureau supervisor Sharylyn Pioske at $22.46/hr., Grade XII, entry with a June 18, 2021 start date.

• The appointment of assistant facilities manager Paul Wesselmann at $27.13/hr., Grade XIII, Step 6, effective June 18, 2021.

• Intermittent, part-time public health nurse Tara Fausch, $31.80/hr., Grade XV, Step 6, effective June 21, 2021.

• Adding an administrative assistant county veterans service officer position to the Veteran’s Dept. 2022 budget. The position has a $41,766 annual salary plus health insurance if needed. Preferred starting date is July 1, 2022 to take advantage of a State FY23 CVSO (County Veterans Service Officer) grant for partial salary, training, and office furniture.

“We are falling behind in submitting our claims because walk-ins demand immediate assistance. Collectively, we receive more than 60 communications (email and voice) that deserve a response within 24 hours. Deaths require immediate action to stop VA benefits, arrange burial locations, obtain flags, and meet with grief-sticken families,” Brown County Veterans Service Officer Greg Peterson wrote in the board request.

• Adding a health educator/planner to the 2022 public health budget. The position fulfills many duties required by state statute and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) grant requirements.

The position was filled by intermittent, part-time staff during the COVID-19 response and was found to be extremely valuable and necessary, Brown County Public Health Director Karen Moritz wrote in the board request.

The position would do outreach and education to the public in person and various media sources, do ongoing data analysis for program areas, among other duties. Position funding would be primarily from a local public health grant.

The position would increase public health’s ability to write and obtain additional grant funding. It could be utilized outside of a pandemic and extremely important in any public health response.

The Brown County Board of Commissioners meet in the Law Enforcement Center Training Room until further notice. Zoom access is available by calling Brown County Administration at 507-233-6600.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nu

journal.com).