Supervisors discuss bonding, final preparations for RAGBRAI

The road master, Steve Pumphrey, who oversees the railroad line which passes through Fairfield, met with the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Monday, July 22, to lay out the plan which will be implemented around Labor Day.

Humphrey stated that each crossing they redo has basically the same work, some more intensive than others. Generally, the team will pop out the old crossing ties and rehabilitate the bed and reset new ties and crossings. It will take about two days on each crossing.

They will begin at the Brookville overpass and move down the line. Then they will move east of Fairfield along the line that passes through the east of the county, reworking each of those passes in the same manner.

Bonding

The board was then joined by Josh Laraby, executive director of Fairfield Economic Development Association; Shannon Pearson, deputy auditor; Pat McAvan, Assistant Jefferson County Attorney; Scott Cline, County Engineer; and Steve Wemmie, County Assessor. Jeff Heil and Heidi Kuhl of Northland Securities guided the group through a conference call with Helen Samuelson, representing S&P Global which will evaluate the statement and audit of the county, process the data, and make recommendations regarding bonding rates.

As Samuelson asked questions about the fiscal history of the county, each of those present answered the questions pertinent to their department about the way Jefferson County has handled finances, and how the county will handle the upcoming bond issuance. The S&P report can be given verbally on Aug. 1-2, and the rating will be by Aug. 8. Because the county has been pay-as-you-go, this is the first time that a bonding of this type has been done to resurface three county roads. The board approved Engagement Agreement with Ahlers and Cooney, P.C., and approved the Preliminary Official Statement concerning $6,700,000 general obligation capital loan Notes, Series 2019A.

Culvert

Cline reported to the board the 230th Street tanker car culvert will be done by Wednesday. The surface areas around the approaches to the Germanville Bridge are being finished while the concrete cures. Cline anticipates the opening in two weeks. Dust control material arrived in time for blading Monday and the application of the material Tuesday.

RAGBRAI

On July 18, the engineer met with Jefferson County Sheriff Gregg Morton to discuss each intersection from Libertyville into Fairfield affected by RAGBRAI this coming Thursday, July 25. The county work crew will have barricades and signage put in place by 10 a.m. Support vehicles for RAGBRAI will travel north of Libertyville and come into Fairfield from the west to the fairgrounds.

Libertyville is locally managing the route bicyclists will take through the town. Roads and streets with barricades and attendants will be on Juniper Avenue. Supervisor Dee Sandquist said there will be a welcome center on private property near the Cedar Creek bridge, where cyclists will be advised whether they need to use South 32nd Street or Libertyville Road over to Key Boulevard toward Fillmore Avenue for their night's lodgings.

Cline advised that South 32nd Street will have staggered barricades for cyclists to travel to West Madison Avenue and enter the fairgrounds from the south side, and Key Boulevard will have barricades also.

Gear intersection

Supervisor Daryn Hamilton invited Cline to attend a meeting at City Hall later that day concerning the Fairfield intersection of Gear Avenue and North 18th Street, which has more traffic volume due to increased travel to and from Cambridge Investment Research Inc. The jurisdiction of this intersection is shared by the city and the county, meaning they share in the responsibility to enforce speed limits and stop signs. Traffic traveling south on 18th Street is not stopping. At one time, there were flashing lights placed on the stop signs, but the city had those removed due to one neighbor's complaint.