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The Chisago County Board contracted with a couple of firms last week to consult on projects that are in the pipeline;  such as worn out weirs in the lake lowering system and County Road 16 outside of Taylors Falls,  and final touches on County Road 19 —from the new proposed round-about at Lofton Avenue east to Lincoln Trail.

Knife River is doing the segment of County Road 16 starting in spring 2025. Completion date is July 18, 2025.  The road will see reconditioning, guardrail, slopes and ditching and be widened.  Chisago County Engineer Joe Triplett said three bids were submitted and Knife River was recommended at $3,694, 716.

The Lofton Avenue and Lake Ellen channel-weir  projects will be administered by Collins, which also did the Phase One and Phase Two engineering feasibility and design.  The fee for this final phase is $33,000.

All the weir projects must be done by December 31, 2025.  Local firm Peterson Cos. was awarded the projects at $412,050 by the County Board in late December.

And County Road 19 from County 14 west to the Lofton four-way intersection is being rebuilt and there will be a round-about where stop signs are currently.  Stonebrook Engineering was approved for $315,917 total but this final phase is not to exceed $30,000.

In other reports the county commissioners heard Rob Collins has been selected as Examiner of Titles for legal cases. He succeeds Tim Peterson.

The One Watershed One Plan group is now filled as far as Chisago County appointees. The commissioners have named Brenda Green, Mike Mergens, Lance Peterson, and Gary Schumcher.

There was an hour and a half of discussion with the county’s lobbyist for Larkin Hoffman on what priority funding requests the firm needs to promote with state legislators.  Jerry Seck shared his insights about the session so far and the Board highlighted local transportation needs that Larkin Hoffman should highlight.

Along with road project aid, the commissioners prioritized seeking financial help with eradicating reed beds of invasive phragmites at the wastewater treatment plant in Chisago Lake Township.  

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