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18 <br /> <br />Cass County Bridges: Current Status of Bridges less than 20 feet in Length <br />There are many minor structures that are less than 20 feet in length. The NDDOT no longer inspects these <br />bridges. The Cass County Highway Department has developed a 5-year rotation for inspecting these structures. <br />These bridges are replaced or repaired on a priority basis. <br />Cass County: Future Staffing – Heavy Equipment – Facilities Needs <br /> <br />Highway & Vector Staffing <br />• Current Staffing: The Highway Department is made up of 33 full-time administrative, operations, and <br />engineering staff. The County Engineer also supervises the County Planning and the County Vector <br />Control Departments totaling five full time employees. The Highway Department currently has the <br />County Engineer, a Deputy County Engineer, an Assistant County Engineer (FM Diversion), Assistant <br />County Engineer (Design and Construction), a Road Superintendent, and two office administration staff. <br />Under the Assistant County Engineer (Design and Construction) are six full time engineering staff and <br />under the Road Superintendent are 19 full time operations staff. The Highway Department also hires <br />between 16-20 part-time engineering and operations staff during the summer. The Vector Control <br />Department has 4 full-time employees and hires around 40 part-time summer employees. Below is the <br />current organizational chart. For 2024, the Cass County Commission authorized adding one additional <br />equipment operator position. Due to challenges with hiring our current vacant Shop Mechanic, the <br />Commission authorized the Highway Department to hire the new Equipment Operator position in the <br />fall of 2023 and the Shop Mechanic in January 2024. This will bring the total number of operations staff <br />under the Road Superintendent to 20. <br /> <br />• Proposed Future Staffing over the Next Five Years: The Highway Department looks to add one new staff <br />position over the next five years. In addition to handling increases in workload, this one new position <br />would help transition for potential retirements and changes. <br />o Right of Way Agent – Due to the pending retirement in 2024 of our current Right of Way Agent, we <br />expect to hire a new employee to fill this position. Because of the current low grading of this <br />position, we don’t expect to hire a candidate at the B32 grade. Failure to have a Right of Way <br />Agenda hired could result in well over $100,000 in additional right of way costs through hiring <br />consultants to cover the right of way acquisition needs of the Highway Department. <br />o Assistant Planner: Do to space restrictions, we previously did not have room for another planning <br />staff member. With the new office remodel, space will be available to add a new position. In <br />addition, we anticipate the implementation of the Western Cass Flood Insurance Study. This new <br />floodplain map and changes will require more floodplain management work for the Townships. We <br />have heard that some townships may be interested in requesting the County take over these <br />responsibilities. If that happens, a new Planner 1 position has been drafted to assist the Planning <br />Director in the implementation and administration of the review and enforcement of all current <br />subdivision and flood plain ordinances. They would be responsible for assisting in inspecting and <br />enforcing residential, commercial, industrial, and other properties before, during and after plat