The reconstruction of 1.29 miles on 144th Avenue will be the first order of business for the Dorr Township Roads Committee and work is expected to commence in August and be completed in November.
The Dorr Township Board Thursday evening voted 6-0 to approve the low bid of Langlois & Sons of Hopkins at $499,992 on 144th from east of 17th Street to 14th Street in the township.
Roads Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Sandel told the board, “We were pleasantly surprised (with the final cost). It was about $100,000 less than the original estimate we got from the County Road Commission.”
Supervisor Jeff Miling added that the plans are to have the project completed before the county takes on the widening of 18th Street north of 142nd Avenue in 2018.
Standel, Dorr Township Treasurer Jim Martin, Planniong Commission Vice Chairman Bob Traxler and the special committee formed in August 2014 to outline plans for local road improvements not covered by the county. The group received a boost in the August primary of 2016 when voters approved a three-mill levy earmarked solely for roads.
Sandel told the board that it appears the next project will be the gravel road 22nd Street, which the Road Commission considers so daunting that it should be done over two separate years.
“We have scored local roads for priority according to the biggest needs,” she commented.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the board:
• Received $15,126 in a biannual revenue sharing check presentation from the Gun Lake Casino earlier this month. Miling said it was the largest amount Dorr Township has received to date.
• Approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation to rezone a parcel near 144th Avenue and 24th Street from agricultural to rural agricultural, at the request of Jim Schaendorf.
• Approved the appointment of Rick DeMann to a seat on the Parks Commission left vacant by the resignation of Al Weber.
• Was told that Kraai Well Drilling is examining a well used by the Dorr Fire Department that has been bringing up sand and caused some damage to one the department’s trucks.
PHOTO: Carolyn Sandel