Highway Committee Okays Co. A Jurisdictional Transfer Meeting Wednesday, Nov. 4 the Marinette County Highway Committee approved a jurisdictional transfer to the Town of Athelstane of a portion of Co. A/C and Co. A to the west and north to Benson Lake Road, about 7.5 miles, to make it possible for the town to open it for ATV and snowmobile use. It would go west on Benson Lake Road to White Lane.
Athelstane Town Chairman John Dobratz said the Near North Trail Riders Club endorsed the idea of opening all town roads to ATV traffic.
Russ Bauer raised a safety issue, saying there was no shoulder on Co. A and asked,“How will you feel a year from now? In the Town of Peshtigo the roads were abused by snowmobiles.”
Dobratz said, “We will maintain Co. A. We can keep up the roads, and we’ll patrol. We’ll sign it very well.” Athelstane Town Treasurer Greg Reinhardt said one million of property is dependent on tourism. “We open roads, but we can close them if abused,” he commented. The matter was referred to the county board which was approved at their meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Bridge aids approved included two Benson Lake bridges, one for $5365.60 and the other for $3686.80 in the Town of Athelstane, and one on Mathis Road in the Town of Amberg for $7096.60. The cost is shared 50-50 by Marinette County and the towns and will be in the 2010 budget.
The committee approved purchase of a laptop computer for Marinette County Public Works Director Mark Desotell “so he can work at home”, said half joking but in reality, true.
The routine maintenance agreement with the State was approved. Marinette County’s allocation is up by 6% when most counties got reductions averaging 10%, but the downside are the added lanes on US 41 to be snowplowed and maintained.
No action was taken after a long discussion on Local Road Improvement funding and possible projects.
Desotell discussed the County R reconstruction project, 7 miles east to the end of the road at the Menominee River, estimated to cost $1.2 million. “We’ll have to scrape up $650,000”, he said.
He added that Administrator Steve Corbeille estimated that would take three years. Steve Dill, who represents Pembine and Beecher, said access to a mine is needed. A motion to pursue a TEA grant (Transportation Economic Advancement) was approved. The Town of Pembine will apply for resurfacing of Mine Road, also.
The proposed jurisdictional transfer of a portion of Co. CP to make possible a walking trail planned by the Village of Pound northward brought no action. Cooperation by the Town of Pound was needed, and Desotell said Town Chairman Jerry Heroux reported the Town of Pound “is not necessarily interested” in a jurisdictional transfer to his town. They don’t want to obstruct, was the final word, however.
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