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A Free Weekly Publication Serving All of Beaver County Wednesday, March 9, 2022, Volume 15, Issue 10 Wednesday February 16 2022 Volume 15 Issue 7
Shoulder pulls a ‘go’ for this construction season Patricia Harcourt Beaver County will resume a Shoulder Pull Program consisting of about 10 miles per year beginning this construction season. County Council made the decision at the March 2 regular meeting based on a presentation by Director of Transportation Dan Blackie. “Council has indicated it would like to resume the Shoulder Pull Program as part of the five-year road construction/capital plan,” Blackie stated, in his report. Shoulder pulls and spot repairs for rural roads was included in the last approved five-year capital plan for $600,000, he said, noting that cement could be used for wet problem areas as was previously done on Range Road 124. As for this year, “we have the budget money in there,” he told council. And he felt the county could do as well as last year’s contractor. “I feel we can do just as good a job or better,” he said, at about $30,000 per mile. “I feel we could do it in-house and it would
improve the quality of the roads out there.” He planned on meeting with the county’s grader operators and then would prepare a five-year plan with for shoulder pulls to bring back to council. “By utilizing the cementing crew once the TerraCem jobs are complete, administration feels we could shoulder pull approximately six to 10 miles before freeze up,” he predicted. The report indicated that feedback from the public in the recent public survey was considered in the decision to reinstate the shoulder pull program. Division 5 Councillor Dale Pederson said he preferred the use of cement, and Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec (Division 3) noted that work on roads in the spring farm work “brings out the bad parts of the road,” and said that “after seeding would be the best time” to do the road repairs. Blackie indicated that the first shoulder pull would be the 182 going to Black Nugget Lake and the golf course. He expected this work to start mid to late June. Then the 195 would be done after the school buses stop running through the subdivision. “We will do shoulder pulls and spot repairs,” he
said, but added that, “it’s so hard to predict because of the weather.” Reeve Kevin Smook (Division 1) asked for a definition of what constitute a shoulder pull for the benefit of the listening public who may not know. Blackie obliged by saying that “roads get beat up over time, flatten out and lose their crown.” A shoulder pull works to bring the road back up on the sides so the crown is back in place to allow for run-off to take place. There is not new material introduced, he said, so the material there is just recycled, “so it’s basically a refresh,” he said. Councillor Barry Bruce (Division 4) told council he is often asked by ratepayers why a road isn’t simply rebuilt instead of doing a shoulder pull. “I don’t think they understand the cost for that,” he said, to rebuild a road. With the same amount of money, he said, either 1.5 miles can be rebuilt or 10 miles can get a shoulder pull. “The reason we’re doing shoulder pulls is that the cost is so much less,” he said. A motion to bring back a shoulder pull program starting in 2022 was passed by council.
Agreement with beaver control company extended Patricia Harcourt The contractor employed by Beaver County to prevent land flooding through beaver control has had his contract renewed for the 2022 season. Beaver Council also agreed at the same meeting March 2 to continue with the Beaver Control Incentive Program this year, which pays trappers to bring in beaver tails as another way to keep down flooding and infrastructure damage to county property. “Beaver activity has the ability to damage and, at times, destroy municipal infrastructure and associated drainage works,” the report to council stated. As well as county property, beaver activity can “impact private property and agricultural producers’ livelihoods.” The county has a policy and procedures “for dealing with beaver activity within its boundaries.” The contractor is hired “to remove beavers in areas where their activity impacts infrastructure,” the report states. Although $40,000 was allocated for the program, in 2021 only $24,516 was spent. The report explained
that beaver activity can go up or down depending on the weather. Last year it was mainly drought like conditions over the summer with water receding due to lack of rainfall. The current beaver control contractor will continue the same work this year but with “a minimal increased cost due to increases for fuel and other operational items,” states the report. Last year, landowners removing beaver from their property brought in 353 beaver tails for compensation of $7,020. A budget of $10,000 had been assigned to this beaver tail incentive program. “Council should also review the information gathered in the public engagement survey to determine if there are any further program or policy changes that could be implemented,” recommended the report, which noted that council is already into 2023 in terms of any new budget allocations that might be considered. Aimee Boese, the county’s agricultural official, indicated that “time is of the essence” in getting a contractor for the beaver control work. “Tendering out would delay things,” she said, adding administration “wants a contractor in place” who knows the
bylaws and other rules needed for the work. “No question about it,” said Councillor Dale Pederson (Division 5) stating he was “satisfied with the current contractor.” New Councillor Lionel Williams (Division 2) wanted to know if there were a lot of people who apply for this position. Boese told him: “It’s a very select group that could apply.” “I think this opportunity is really wonderful,” said Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec (Division 3), adding that the budget for this used to be $200,000. “Now it’s reduced to a reasonable amount.” He felt that “the beaver incentive program - for the areas that really need it - it’s definitely of value. The trappers are happy with the service provided by the program.” Councillor Barry Bruce (Division 4) said a nearby county has also put a $25 per beaver tail incentive program in place. “It helps keep them from coming into other counties,” he said, of the beaver populations. His motion to renew the current contractor for 2022 and continue with the Beaver Control Incentive Program passed.