Goodhue County Board briefs

Union, non-union workers get same agreement

At its meeting Tuesday, the Goodhue County Board looked at changes that were recently made to union contracts and approved those same changes for non-union employees.

The changes increase the total vacation carryover from 200 to 240 hours, increase life insurance from $30,000 to $40,000 and increase wages .75 percent on Dec. 31, 2012, and .75 percent on March 31, 2013.

“I think this board has really tried to be consistent among all the groups and this continues that,” Commissioner Ron Allen said.

Board will hold special meeting for Holden Township bridge

Plans for replacing a Holden Township bridge that has been closed since the beginning of the year are moving along quickly in order to achieve completion this fall.

The opening date for bids for the bridge – which is located about a mile north of Highway 60 near Kenyon – is Oct. 25. But since the County Board would not regularly meet until Nov. 6 after the bids come in, Public Works Director Greg Isakson requested a special meeting be scheduled to award a contract at an earlier date.

“We’re just trying to get this done as quick as we can here,” Isakson said. “The sooner the better.”

If the bridge is not replaced this fall work will have to hold off until next spring. The problem, Isakson stressed, is that if the Zumbro River reaches flood stage in the spring, several homes in the area would get trapped.

The board unanimously voted to meet at 8 a.m. Friday Oct. 26 to review project bids.

Meeting watch

Tuesday’s County Board meeting lasted 1.5 hours. All members were present.

— Compiled by Regan Carstensen, staff writer

Tags: goodhue county, county board, government