New Secondary Road Facility by Forest City Is Complete

The new facility for the Winnebago County Secondary Road Department has been under construction since last fall and the project is now complete. The new facility two miles north of Forest City on Highway 69 will house three motor graders, two dump trucks, a loader, and pickups in service to the rural areas surrounding Forest City, primarily Mount Valley, Forest, and Linden Townships. We worked very hard to stay focused on fundamental needs, contribute with county labor when appropriate (which was tracked and included in the reported cost), and keep the budget tight on this project.

Prior to the project, the Road Department was operating out of three separate buildings, one of them needing extensive repairs, on a landlocked parcel in Forest City and an idle 79-acre gravel pit five miles west. Plans were developed to repair or rebuild the oldest building in the same footprint, but were abandoned due to cost. It became evident that building on a new site was the only consciencies and economical way forward.

The project began with a $1.5 million budget, which was to be funded by $800,000 from secondary road fund and $700,000 from the sale of current properties. After the project, with nearly all contracts fully paid, the net cost to the County, including day labor, will be about $423,000, broken down as follows:

The Road Department now has a modern, energy-efficient facility, breakroom with windows and basic amenities, all equipment stored inside, and room to stockpile materials. The benefits of the new facility are many, but the primary driver to the project was the cost of repairs to the old facility. Most of the project benefits are operational in nature, but we are also proud to put $905,000 in property value bacl on the tax roll.

Thank you to our local contractors Kingland Construction, Groe Electric, Young Plumbing & Heating, and LM Pump Service for your good work. And thank you to my fellow County staff members who contributed their time and talents, including the custom-built table for the breakroom.

Lastly, it is worth noting that before Sunnyside Pit was sold, over 70,000 tons of sandy gravel was excavated from the property and blended with coarse material for use on County gravel roads. When compared to hauling limestone from the nearest quarry, this decision saved the County around $700,000. The Secondary Road Fund is supporting the budget for the new facility in a big way, but as a team, my staff and I are working hard to find savings and efficiencies every day.

Scott T. Meinders, P.E.

Winnebago County Engineer