The Sawyer County Public Works Committee voted to approve a hot‑mix asphalt bid of $61.31 per ton for the County Road W LRIP project after staff said only one bid was received.

Why it matters: approval locks a bid price needed to secure a state refund for that LRIP project and moves the procurement process forward. Liz, the clerk, and staff confirmed the motion and asked that the minutes record the specific per‑ton price so the county can receive reimbursement.

Bids and motion: county staff said only one bid was received (Monarch). Staff listed two pit prices: $58.40 per ton from one pit and $61.31 per ton from the Thompson pit off Highway 27. The committee approved the $61.31 per ton price for the County Road W LRIP project; the motion carried.

Highway commissioner’s report: the highway commissioner reported crews used more than half of the department’s winter maintenance budget this season and that road bans should be lifted within about one to two weeks if conditions hold. The commissioner said the county had completed bridge and covered‑structure inspections and will begin patching and crack‑sealing soon.

Spring Lake project at risk: the commissioner warned that the County’s ESTP (county environmental/shoreline) project at Spring Lake is effectively on hold because the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will not sign off on certain permits as currently proposed. That DNR stance could jeopardize federal funding tied to the project, the commissioner said.

The project originally carried an estimated federal funding amount of about $3,000,000 and county costs of about $760,000 “before right‑of‑way and everything else,” the commissioner said. Staff said right‑of‑way acquisition work is unfinished and the county is reviewing more than 50 parcels that may be affected.

The commissioner described attempts to reduce lake impacts to satisfy the DNR—removing guardrail, narrowing shoulders, adding rumble strips, and using vegetative mitigation and fiber mesh—but said DNR concerns about fish spawning and turtle habitat remain. Another option discussed with DOT was a half‑mile retaining wall paid for with county funds, which the commissioner said would be expensive.

Next steps: staff have filed exceptions to design standards and submitted alternative mitigation approaches to the DNR; decisions will return to the committee when DNR responses and updated plats are available.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of minutes from March 12 (motion by Randy Newman, seconded by Chuck Van Etten): approved (committee voice vote).
- Approval of asphalt bid price for County Road W LRIP project (hot mix, loaded into trucks): $61.31 per ton approved (committee voice vote).

No other formal budget approvals were taken at the meeting.