Iowa County to pay for road through Parnell

MARENGO — Iowa County has tentatively agreed to pay more than $25,000 for chip and seal coating of F52 through Parnell.

Iowa County Engineer Nick Amelon told the Iowa County Board of Supervisors Sept. 20 that the City of Parnell had asked that the county pay for the seal coating of F52.

“They paid for Boland a few years ago,” said Amelon, though the county owns half the road. But the county didn’t approve that, said Amelon. Parnell paved the street on its own.

The county is responsible for half of Boland and half of F52, said Amelon, and he told the Parnell city clerk that the county would probably agree to pay for its half, but not for the entire road.

Iowa County Supervisors tentatively agreed to pay for the entire $25,000 project because Parnell paid for the entire Boland project at a cost of about $24,000.

Parnell Mayor Matt Stoner and Councilwoman Ann Krakow discussed the project with county supervisors Friday.

“We have a major dust control issue,” said Krakow. The City wants to seal the road to keep the dust down. The road is well-traveled and leads to the town’s ball fields, she said.

Had the road been a farm to market road, the county would probably have been responsible for it, said Amelon. But it’s not a farm to market route.

“We’ve maintained Boland street for 40 years,” said Krakow. The City of Parnell would like the county to take care of seal coating F52.

“I do believe they have a valid point,” said Iowa County Supervisor Kevin Heitshusen. If Parnell has been taking care of the county’s half of the road, the county should give something back to Parnell.

“I’m on the fence,” said Supervisor Abby Maas. Though Parnell paved the county’s half of Boland, the county didn’t ask the town to do it.

Supervisor Alan Schumacher said the dust on the road creates a safety hazard. Parnell took the initiative to improve its community. If the county engineer can find the money to pay for the project, the county should do that, he said.

Amelon said he could find $25,000 in his budget for the project.

Supervisor Chris Montross agreed that the county should pay for the project, but said the county and city should split responsibility in the future.

“I would say that if you do chip seal this, I would propose that Parnell take on the maintenance of this,” said Amelon. The county’s snow-removal equipment will be too heavy and could damage the road, he said.

“We don’t send pickups that close [to Parnell],” Amelon said in September.

The City and County will enter into a 28E agreement spelling out the responsibilities of each agency before the project begins. Parnell would like to have the road completed this fall.

Amelon was to have an agreement ready for the next meeting of the Iowa County Board of Supervisors, Oct. 11.

In other business, the county approved a bid of $3,750 — the only bid the county received — to patch four areas of sidewalk in the Amanas.