Two residents raised concerns about plans for the Bridge Avenue and Hawthorne Street intersection Tuesday during the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Engineers have proposed removing the stop light at the intersection during the road construction project this summer and replacing it with stop signs on Hawthorne and flashing pedestrian lights on Bridge Avenue.

Resident Jim Gulbrandson said he is concerned about the safety of children on the road and said he doesn’t think the plan makes sense with at least 10,000 cars a day on the street.

“I wish you would take into consideration the public’s view on this,” Gulbrandson said.

Resident Quincy Borland asked what has changed so that the intersection has gone from being a four-way stop to having the stop lights and now to having the recommendations given for the flashing pedestrian light and the stop signs on Hawthorne Street.

He also asked whose decision it was about whether the stop lights would remain or be taken out.

Freeborn County Public Works Director Sue Miller said the project is a 50/50 cost share with the city of Albert Lea, and it will be a joint decision between the two entities.

Miller said the reason the traffic signals are no longer warranted is because traffic flows and counts have gone down. Cross traffic from Hawthorne Street has also gone down.

She said she understands the concerns some people have, and noted she used to live in the neighborhood. She said she would never let her 4-, 5- or 6-year-old cross Bridge Avenue without her being there.

She referenced the safety of U.S. Highway 69 near Southwest Middle and Sibley Elementary schools and the flashing crosswalk sign that is there with a crossing guard, similar to what is being recommended on Bridge Avenue.

She said as the county’s engineer, she would never recommend something that she feels would be unsafe for residents.

District 2 Commissioner Dan Belshan said he is a proponent of eliminating the stop lights and putting in a four-way stop sign at the intersection.

The board will have a more in-depth discussion about the issue at its March 24 workshop.

In other action, the commissioners:

• Heard from three superintendents with the Freeborn County Fair on Tuesday about the need to build a new horse barn and Kiddie Farmyard before the fair this summer.

Stephanie Richter, who is a superintendent of the horse departments with her husband, said the horse barn is used for 4-H projects, and there is revenue available for the county from people traveling with horses, as well as for people utilizing storage for trailers, boats and pontoons.

She said these people utilizing the barn from out of town also spend money when they are in town on things such as gasoline, fuel, horse feed and hay.

Richter said there was a concern about safety during last year’s draft horse show, and it is better for the horses to get prepared for the show in the barn away from the noise of the fair.

Jane Haukoos, superintendent of the Kiddie Farmyard, said the Kiddie Farmyard has been housed temporarily in the North Pavilion in recent years after its old building was demolished in 2018.

She said this has been problematic for the animals and volunteers because of other games and louder children’s activities in the building. It is also a large area for volunteers to keep an eye on.

They are also not able to house the beekeeping exhibit in the current building, and the biggest problem, she said, is putting up and taking down the pens every year.

Haukoos said she understands there are many projects that need to be done in the county but said it would benefit the entire community and could add revenue throughout the year.

Norman Bangert, superintendent of the poultry barn said he is afraid of his barn being so close to Richway Drive if it were widened and suggested the poultry barn be a part of the new Kiddie Farmyard if that is constructed.

The commissioners will discuss the issue more in-depth at the March 24 workshop.

• Heard a report given by Veterans Services Officer Brandon Servantez about services provided by the Veterans Services Department in 2019.

Servantez said there are 2,342 veterans in Freeborn County, and the department had 7,868 contacts with veterans throughout the year that required some type of action be taken.

The department organized 156 van rides to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, transporting 836 veterans.

He said Freeborn County veterans and their dependents received $19.259 million in compensation, pensions, medical care, education benefits and life insurance in the year.

• Authorized Freeborn County to enter into an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for use and maintenance of County State-Aid Highways 30 and 35 as detour routes during the construction slated to take place on Minnesota Highway 251. The state will be responsible for a little shy of $8,900.

• Authorized a contract with Sir Lines-A-Lot for the county’s annual road striping contract for about $155,000. The company was the lowest of three bidders.

The engineer’s estimate was about $144,000.

• Authorized a contract with Freeborn County Co-op for about $168,000 for the annual base stabilization with magnesium chloride. Freeborn County Co-op was the lowest of two bids received.

The engineer’s estimate was about $178,000.

• Approved a contract with Ulland Brothers Inc. for the county’s annual sand contract. The price was approved at $9.95 per ton for a minimum of 5,000 tons.

• Approved a contract with Ulland Brothers Inc. for about $177,000 for shoulder widening and bituminous surface on Freeborn County Road 22 in front of the county highway shop. Ulland Brothers submitted the only bid.

• Authorized a contract with Ulland Brothers Inc. for $3.15 million for the mill and overlay of County State-Aid Highways 12, 14, 17, 25, 32 and 51. Ulland Brothers submitted the only bid, and the engineer’s estimate was $2.9 million.

• Authorized a contract with ASTECH Corp. for about $916,000 for micro-surfacing of designated areas on County State-Aid Highways 13, 17, 25, 47 and 71. ASTECH submitted the only bid, and the engineer’s estimate was about $1 million.

Miller said the micro-surfacing should get another eight to 10 years of life out of the roads and has been found to be successful in several other counties.

• Approved a resolution for annual seasonal bid items, such as sand, gravel and equipment rental.

• Authorized a contract with Ulland Brothers Inc. for about $196,000 for two-foot bituminous shoulder widening with rumble strips on Freeborn County Road 46, from the Faribault County line to County Road 6. Ulland Brothers submitted the only bid, and the engineer’s estimate was about $198,400.

Public Works Director Sue Miller said the cost will be paid for in a 50/50 cost share with Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services, which is building a new headquarters next to the county highway shop. 

• Accepted the resignation of Assistant Freeborn County Attorney Michelle Johnson, who accepted a job outside of the county. The board voted to fill the vacancy.

• Accepted a $25 donation to the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office for the purchase of personal protective equipment for deputies. Deputies will train in mobile field force operations in anticipation of assisting northern Minnesota counties for the Line 3 protests, according to the resolution.

• Accepted the filing of an engineer’s report on the repair of County Ditch J9 and set a public hearing for 8:45 a.m. March 17.

• Recognized Marilyn Claassen with the Rose Olmsted Advocacy Award.

• Set workshops for 8:30 a.m. March 24 and 31.