Sawyer County Highway Department staff updated the Public Works Committee on recent and ongoing work across county and state routes, staffing and procurement issues.

Recent work and maintenance: staff reported crack-sealing and paving work on State Highway 70 segments and a five-mile stretch near Price County, shoulder and patching work on county roads F and E, and mowing operations across the county that are underway for the season. Staff also described shoulder work where County Road D double D meets County Road F and said Tony W (a route) was paved before the Fourth of July.

Staffing and training: the department said Dustin attended fire-safety training last month, Jesse Nichols was promoted to foreman in Winter and the department is recruiting for an operator position based in Hayward; staff reported about 15–16 applications had been received. Staff also asked county board members to attend a county road tour scheduled for Tuesday the 15th from 9 a.m. to noon, meeting at the highway shop; staff said seven county board members were expected to participate.

Material costs and budget context: staff notified the committee that the price for road salt increased by about $3 per ton under the county’s new contract with the state DOT; staff said the county’s salt price is now approximately $102.066 per ton and that this year’s order to restock the county shed would total roughly $360,000. Staff flagged the budgetary impact of higher material prices and other capital demands in their planning.

Bridges and projects: staff provided an update that a bridge deck project (by location H) was rescheduled to a fall start, with an expected completion date of Oct. 24 in the contractor schedule shared with the county. Staff also briefly reviewed temporary bridge installations and other emergency responses after recent storms, noting the county avoided major culvert blowouts.

Next steps: staff will continue to recruit for open positions, refine cost estimates for planned projects, and host the county board road tour next week.