(Spirit Lake)– The Lower Gar Bridge project was a topic of discussion at today’s (Tues.) Dickinson County Board of Supervisors meeting. County Engineer Jeff Rose told supervisors the project is still moving forward but remains snagged in the permitting process on the federal level. He says they’re prepared to finalize plans and bid documents just as soon as they get the go-ahead. The ongoing process sparked an exchange between supervisors Steve Dullard and Kim Wermersen…
“It just seems like we just keep dropping the ball on it, not getting it done. That’s my interest. Let’s move it, let’s get it done. You claim we’re dropping the ball and yet we can’t go any faster than these reports come. We had to wait to hear from FEMA, we have to wait now from the University of Iowa, and if you want to put a 10 day on it and we don’t get it, then what? You keep saying we’re dropping the ball. I’m talking mainly past history. I’m talking past history, too.”
Fellow Supervisor Steve Clark warned against trying to speed things up, siting the long-term controversy over replacing the outlet with a bridge…
“Trying to get the government to step up the timeline and there has been a push to go ahead and start construction on it. I’m a little leery of taking the road out and then opening up that door for possible recriminations from other people, other agencies that, you know, taking the road out in anticipation of getting all the correct permits is not a viable option in my opinion.”
Clark agreed that trying to convince a federal agency to speed up it’s timeline is very difficult to do.
