Winneshiek County Supervisors defer to Iowa DNR on Whitetail Road safety assessment

On December 4, 2023 the Winneshiek County Supervisors addressed Whitetail Road's condition and Burr Oaks' sewer pump issues in their weekly meeting. The meeting commenced with a thorough discussion about the hazardous dust conditions of Whitetail Road in Decorah. Community representative Cheri Lane was invited to speak to the board alongside co-representative Mark van der Linden about the matter. A letter detailing the significance of the issues had previously been sent by Lane to the Supervisors, "The undersigned residents of Whitetail Road are writing to express our concerns to the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors and Office of the County Engineer about the fugitive dust and safety concerns on Whitetail Road," wrote Lane. "As the road continues to see increased traffic and is one of the most heavily traveled gravel roads in the county, we are asking to be added to an upcoming meeting agenda for the opportunity to discuss viable options." Spanning from Clay Hill Road to Quarry Hill Road in Decorah, Whitetail Road measures around 1.6 miles and presently features a fully gravel surface. Functioning as a popular shortcut connecting Decorah to the Freeport community, this thoroughfare experiences a substantial traffic flow, with approximately 260 vehicles traversing its length daily. Whitetail Road also bears the weight of significant industrial traffic, particularly from the Skyline Quarry. A noteworthy portion of this industrial traffic heads towards county maintenance facilities in Freeport, which according to Lane, contributes to a disproportionate impact on the road's overall conditions. "There have been several decades of issues relating to fugitive dust," said Van der Linden, " As we pointed out in the letter, the Sheriff's department has pointed out that it's a safety concern, and the Iowa DNR has also pointed out that it's a health concern in the past. As residents of the road, we're here representing a very diverse group of people who are concerned about this." County Auditor Ben Steines brought up that the only funding mechanism that could be used for the roads' improvement, would be to assess to the local landowners, but it would require that the landowners volunteer to have a special assessment. At the end of the discussion, Lane expressed her approval of the speed monitoring signs that were installed on the road; stating that they have been helpful, and recommending even a potential automatic speed ticketing system be installed as well. According to Lane, the other thing that has been helpful has been decreasing the amount of fresh gravel being placed on the road. "I understand pitch, I understand potholes, [I] get that, but there were times where I felt like there was so much; like every time after rain 'here comes the grater' there's another fresh pile of gravel, but that just contributes to the issue too," she said. The Supervisors concluded the conversation by advising Lane to acquire results from a DNR road study. "The DNR has to tell us that it's unhealthy. So then if it's unhealthy, we have to put dust control down," Supervisor Mark Vick said. Burr Oak Sewer Pumps Following the Whitetail Road discussion, attention shifted to the challenges faced by Burr Oak's sewer pumps. Jim Olson, head of Burr Oak's Sewer District and Ashley Christensen of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commision (UERPC) requested approximately $20,000 to $25,000 in funding for two new grinder pumps in the face of challenges posed by allegedly "flushable wipes" that don't actually disintegrate, and go on to cause system malfunctions. When asked for a more exact estimate on the cost, Olson was unsure due to the rising costs and apparent degrading quality of the equipment. Supervisor Chair Dan Langreck urged the duo to research possible grants and to come back with a firmer estimate, and stated that the Supervisors were "definitely not saying no" to the proposed funding, pending a conclusive estimate.