The Sherburne County Board Tuesday decided they weren’t ready to move forward with the first four road construction projects of the season.

 

At least, not until they had further clarification about the county’s policy on shoulder paving.

 

County Engineer Rhonda Lewis was present to award the contract to the lowest bidder, Hardrives, for overlay projects on Co. Roads 6, 8, 16 and 72.

 

But some of the commissioners were unclear about the paving process and road widths.

 

Last month, the county held a workshop on the same subject. At the time, Lewis said it was public works’ recommendation to a use crushed bituminous for the outside one-foot section of shoulder on overlay projects. An alternative was using top soil instead. Lewis also said the department would bring an official policy to the board in April.

 

So when the board was faced with approving the bids Tuesday, they felt it was premature.

 

Commissioner Felix Schmiesing said he had a number of concerns about driveways and shoulders on each of the roads.

 

So did Commissioner Bruce Anderson.

 

“I assumed coming out of that workshop that we were going to have some kind of discussion or recommendation before we would ever be where we’re at today,” he said. “But that didn’t take place. That’s where the confusion is.”

 

There was also confusion about exactly which issues were being questioned. Public Works Director John Menter asked whether the board was concerned about the total width of the road, or just the material used in the one-foot section along the outside of the shoulder.

 

Whenever a road is reclaimed and overlayed, the paved surface is one foot narrower.

 

If the board wanted a wider road than what was drawn up in the plans, staff would have to re-do the entire project.

 

Menter said even paving the one-foot section would add about $100,000 a mile to the project. But it was up to the board if they wanted to spend the money.

 

“Are we looking at different shoulder widths? Are we looking at one road? Are we looking at all the roads we bid in this contract?” he asked. “I’m unclear as to what direction you’d like us to go. If we do 20 miles of reclaim and overlay, that’s an extra $2 million we don’t have in the budget.”

 

Anderson said the board needed to know all the options and the cost.

 

“If we’re in a position to widen roads, I think we ought to do it,” he said. “If we’re not, I understand that. But that’s why I’m asking for advice here. I think we need to have that information to make the right decision.”

 

He asked whether the board could delay making a decision, since the bids were opened March 1.

 

Lewis went back to her office and returned with the contract language.

 

County Attorney Kathleen Heaney said typically, the bid has to be awarded within 30 days, which would be before the next county board meeting. But the department and the lowest responsible bidder can mutually extend the time for the department to award the bid.

 

“We would have to go back to the lowest responsible bidder and see if they would be agreeable to an additional time period,” she said.

 

That was the board’s wishes.

 

“That will give us time to sort things out rather than try to hammer this thing through us today,” said Schmiesing. “In the meantime we can establish policies going forward.”

 

Lewis said she was meeting with Heaney Wednesday about the policy.

 

Administrator Steve Taylor said he would schedule another workshop once Lewis had a policy ready for discussion.