03-18-2002 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

ROAD ADVISORY COMMI'I-I'EE MARCH 18, 2002--2:00 PM MEETING TO ORDER Commissioner John Meyer called to order a meeting of the Road Advisory Committee at 2:00 PM, Monday, March 18, 2002, in the Commission Room, Cass County Courthouse. The following members wera present: Robyn Sorem, John Meyer, Scott Wagner, Alon Wieland, Jurgen Suhr, Dennis Rust, Mark Johnson and Kelth Bemdt. Donna Schneider and Rich Sieg were absent. HIGHWAY 16 PAVING REQUEST, piscussed Mr. Beradt was contacted recently by a group of citizens from the Davenport and Leonard areas about possibly paving an 8-mile stretch of County 16 from Davenport to State Highway 18. He said this same request was considered by the County Commission seven or eight years ago and the county did not commit to the project because of funding limitations and other road priorities; however, some minor drainage improvements and reshaping of the gravel road was completed. The estimated cost to pave the mad is $4 million. The following citizens were present to discuss this item: Brad Kellerman, Roger Olson, Mike Schmit, Darrell Disoher and John Saewert. Mr. Kellerman spoke for the group and distributed 30 letters of support for this project from area businesses and organizations. He said safety and farm to market issues need to be considered when making a decision to proceed with the project. Mr. Olson, who owns the Leonard Golf Course, has received comments about access to the golf course and the need for a paved road. He said if the road was paved, it would be positive for his business. Mr. Wieland asked if the group discussed funding the project through special assessments. Mr. Kellerman said since the cost was unknown, there has not been any discussion about this. Mr. Wieland said the 10 mill levy does not cover paving gravel roads and he suggested the group discuss they are wJJJing to contribute locally for this project. COUNTY HIGHWAY PLANNING PROCESS, Lona-ranne hic~hwav Dian discussed Mr. Berndt distdbuted a planning chart of county highway projects. He said the information is preliminary and he will prioritize the chart in the next few months to present to the committee for review. He said after taking into account annual revenues and typical operation, maintenance and bridge improvement costs, approximately $3 million is available for highway improvements throughout the entire county. He included paving requests from citizens, including today's, received over the last few years. He noted that the approximate cost to cover the requests is $33 million. COUNTY ROAD 17 CORRIDOR STUDY, More information to be erovlded In the next two months Mr. Berndt said the corridor study continues on County Road 17. A report with additional information is expected in the next two months. He said the study committee is identifying where to consolidate access points, because statistics show that more access points increase the likelihood of traffic accidents. He feels the most significant information to come from the study is the cost of this project, even if the county implements short-term improvements. Mr. Bemdt reported that the study committee was currently planning to recommend 200 foot right-of- way be preserved throughout the corridor. There are few isolated locations where existing development may require the highway to be fit into a more narrow right-of-way. Those situations and proper~ owners would be addressed on an individual basis during the design process. The study is intended to identify the corridor so futura development can be appropriately planned and right-of-way dedicated.