The Polk County Commissioners met this week at the Polk County Government Center.
SHERIFF’S REPORT
Polk County Sheriff James Tadman told the board that his department had 715 calls in November. The top five calls were 205 for civil process, 104 traffic stops, 87 for school patrol, 26 for animal complaints, 25 for property damage, and 23 for public assistance.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders brought several contracts and payments for approval by the board.
The first item was the diesel fuel quotes, and Fertile Oil Company was the lowest responsible bidder. The bid was $2.23 per gallon for the first quarter and $2.29 per gallon for the second through fourth quarters. The quote was 27 cents per gallon less this year than last year, for a total of $136,500. The board unanimously approved the contract.
The second item was a payment of $21,620 to Angus Township after the construction of the roundabout on Highway 75 and County Highway 21 forced more traffic on township roadways. The payment is for an extra blading and gravel invoice to restore the roadways to pre-construction condition. The payment was approved.
The bridge on County Highway 6 over the Lost River has a defective beam, and it will need to be replaced. Sanders asked for the board’s approval of an engineering contract with Widseth for bridge design services for County Highway 6 and another bridge in Chester Township over the Lost River. The location is west of Trail. The contract is for $42,698 and was unanimously approved by the board.
The next item on the agenda was engineering plans for reconstruction/mill and overlay plans for placement of a multi-use trail/bike path along the north side of County Highway 61 from Highway 2 in Crookston past Minakwa Golf Course to Highway 75 bypass. They are looking to place a multi-use trail and more. “We want to reconstruct out by the golf course in an urban section with curb and gutter, storm sewer, bike path along the north side, lighting along the north side,” said Sanders. “It may be the same exact section that is currently east of Highway 2, which is 40 feet between the curb and gutter. We will have the five-foot berm and a 10-foot bike path/pedestrian path out to the west limits of Crookston. We will light the stretch, and that will help to know you’re coming into town at night, and it will help slow down traffic in the 40 mph zone.”
Widseth will do the engineering for the proposed project for $62,960, with completion by May 1, 2025. The board approved the contract.
Sanders brought the resolution of the Polk County bridge replacement priority list (pictured below) and asked for approval of the bridges to help get funding for the projects. The board approved the list.
Sanders said they are in the process of applying for an active transportation grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Sanders asked the commissioners to approve a resolution supporting the County Highway 12 multi-use trail project and grant application. Polk County Highway plans to construct County Highway 12 from County Highway 41 to County Road 231 (near the Pavillion) in 2026. As part of the construction, they are looking at constructing a multi-use trail along the south side of the road. Maple Lake Association favors the trail from Maple Bay to the Pavillion. “I have been working with the Maple Lake Association for at least two or three years trying to figure out how to provide paths along Maple Lake, and this is the stretch that we feel needs to be the first chunk,” said Sanders. “We hope to work on other areas around the lake in the future.”
