Supervisors discuss road, bridge projects

A host of road and bridge projects were on the docket for the Grundy County Board of Supervisors during Monday morning’s regular meeting at the courthouse.
           
The board voted unanimously to approve a motion that will vacate a portion of 280th Street along the border of Palermo and Clay townships at the request of the landowner because the road is barely traveled. County engineer Gary Mauer provided an update on bridges in the county, as five will have their embargoes lifted next year, and two more will be embargoed in the near future. Currently, a total of 44 bridges are embargoed in Grundy County.
           
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has de-obligated the C28 bridge project, and Mauer said that the county would be forced to return $149,000 in federal funds unless it appeals the decision. He added that such moves are currently happening across the country, and supervisor Mark Schildroth noted that at a recent Regional Transit Authority (RTA) meeting he attended, engineers were expressing their frustrations with FEMA. There was no official action taken on a possible appeal of the decision.
           
“It sounds to me like you’re darned if you do and darned if you don’t,” Schildroth said. 
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.