By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County commissioners, on June 24, approved bids needed for upkeep of the 1,062 miles of paved roadways in Otter Tail County.

A motion by County Commissioner Kurt Mortenson of rural Underwood and seconded by Commissioner Sean Sullivan of Fergus Falls was approved to accept the low bid of Mark Sand and Gravel, Fergus Falls, for various road upkeep projects.

The motion to accept a second low bid, for seal coat projects, was made by Commissioner Dan Bucholz of Perham and seconded by Commissioner Bob Lahman of Parkers Prairie. The motion was approved for a contract with Asphalt Surfaces Technologies of St. Cloud for seal coat and seal crack projects.

The third low bid approval, for traffic marking, came through a motion by Commissioner Kurt Mortenson of Underwood and seconded by Commissioner Sean Sullivan of Fergus Falls. The low bid award went to Sir Lines-A-Lot, LLC of Edina, Minnesota.

County roadway funding comes from county taxpayers through the annual levy, $20 license tab fees and a half cent sales tax in Otter Tail County. Additional road money comes from the state and federal government which has been limited in recent years.

An engineering section of the Otter Tail County Highway Department is responsible for inspections, engineering design and construction of highways and bridge projects. This section also provides technical support to other county departments.