Highway Committee - Regular Meeting — Agenda Packet

Chippewa County Highway Committee Regular Meeting June 24, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 10:00 AM District 1, Chair James Flater District 4, Vice-Chair Peter Gehring District 10 Matthew Peterson District 13 Joseph Roshell District 17 George Rohmeyer Page 1 of 26 Chippewa County Highway Committee Regular Meeting June 24, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 10:00 AM 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Members of the Public Wishing to Be Heard (Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker.) 4. Consent Agenda (Unless separation of an item is requested, all items will be adopted under one motion.) 1. Approve the Agenda 2. Approve the Minutes — May 27, 2026 10:00 AM 3. Schedule Next Meeting Date — July 22, 2026 10:00 AM 5. Reports 1. Highway Commissioner Report — Chris Elstran A. Financial Report B. Dashboard Review C. Highway Efficiencies Questions/Answers D. CTH T Public Hearing E. Farming in Right of Way Updates 2. County Construction Project Updates — Shane Birtzer 6. Business Items 7. Agenda Items for Future Consideration 8. Adjourn Chippewa County shall attempt to provide reasonable special accommodations to the public for access to its public meetings, provided reasonable notice of special need is given. If special accommodations for a meeting are desired, contact the County Clerk’s Office at 715-726- 7980. Members of the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors who are not members of this committee are entitled to attend this meeting. It is possible that the attendance of one or more such nonmember Supervisors may create a quorum of some other county board committee, board or commission. Such a quorum is unintended and the nonmember Supervisors are not meeting for the purpose of exercising the responsibility, authority, power, or duties of any other committee, board or commission. Published: 6/17/2026 Page 2 of 26 Chippewa County Highway Committee Regular Meeting May 27, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 10:00 AM 1. Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM 2. Roll Call Members Present: James Flater, Peter Gehring, Matthew Peterson, Joseph Roshell, George Rohmeyer, Jr. Members Absent: None Others Present: Chris Elstran, Fred Anderson, Shane Birtzer, Joe Gutowski, Marla Prissel, Andy Albarado, Paul Krumenauer, Bryan Olichwier, Darrin Kirby, Dennis Bachman, Karen Lotts, Nina Eisold, Traci Bremness, Leah Simington, Chuck Hassemer 3. Members of the Public Wishing to Be Heard (Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker.) 4. Consent Agenda (Unless separation of an item is requested, all items will be adopted under one motion.) Motion: Approved Result: (5 - 0) Mover: Joseph Roshell Seconder: Peter Gehring Ayes: James Flater, Peter Gehring, Matthew Peterson, Joseph Roshell, George Rohmeyer, Jr. Nayes: None Absent: None 1. Approve the Agenda 2. Approve the Minutes — March 25, 2026 5. Reports 1. Highway Committee Orientation - Chris Elstran A. Highway Department Organizational Chart Highway Commissioner Elstran reviewed the current Highway Department organizational chart. 2. Highway Commissioner Report - Chris Elstran A. Year End Financial Report Elstran shared the final audited 2025 year-end financial report and reviewed and discussed last year’s final figures for the equipment budget, revenues and depreciation. Elstran encouraged committee Page 3 of 26 members to reach out with any further questions. B. Financial Report Elstran gave reports on highway funds, county aid bridges, highway construction, and bridge construction. C. Dashboard Review Elstran reviewed the Highway Department dashboard. 3. CTH M Bridge Funding Application to Senator Baldwin - Chris Elstran Elstran gave an update on an application for funding that was submitted to Senator Baldwin’s office. 4. Requested Speed Reduction on CTH H (north side of Stanley) — Chris Elstran Elstran outlined a request for a speed reduction on CTH H on the North side of Stanley. The request was brought to the County Traffic Safety Commission meeting earlier this month. The Highway Department is evaluating the request, which will return to the Highway Committee for a future vote. 5. Requested Speed Reduction on CTH H near 40th Ave. (Amish school) - Chris Elstran Elstran also reviewed another request for a speed reduction on CTH H near 40th Avenue, close to the site of a new Amish School building. This request is currently under review by the Highway Department. 6. Farming in Right-of-Way Update — Chris Elstran Elstran reported on Farming in the Right-of-Way. Staff will continue to monitor the situation. 7. Requested Temporary No Parking Zone on CTH S for Sturgeon Fest — Chris Elstran Elstran reported to the committee on the planned temporary placement of “No Parking” signs in the Town of Anson on CTH S in connection with their upcoming Sturgeon Fest event. 8. County Construction Project Schedule — Shane Birtzer Birtzer provided an overview of the County construction project schedule. The schedule is published on the Highway Department website and is updated throughout the construction season. 9. CTH T Update - Fred Anderson Anderson updated the committee on progress with the CTH T project. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at The Crescent on the Country Jam grounds. Information is also available for review on the Chippewa County Highway Department website: https://www.chippewacountywi.gov/292/CTH-T-Corridor-Expansion 6. Business Items 1. Establish Regular Meeting Dates and Times — James Flater Following discussion, the committee agreed to maintain the current meeting schedule. Motion: Approved Result: Passed (5 - 0) Mover: Peter Gehring Page 4 of 26 Seconder: Joseph Roshell Ayes: James Flater, Peter Gehring, Matthew Peterson, Joseph Roshell, George Rohmeyer, Jr. Nayes: None Absent: None 2. Chippewa County Board of Supervisors Proposed Resolution for WCA Consideration Resolution Seeking Authorization From the Wisconsin State Legislature for Wisconsin Counties to Adopt an Additional .5% Sales Tax For Road and Bridge Infrastructure — Chris Elstran / Andy Albarado Supervisor Flater outlined a resolution that, if approved, would authorize the Wisconsin Counties Association to request that the Wisconsin State Legislation authorize counties to adopt an additional 0.5 % sales tax dedicated to road and bridge infrastructure. The committee discussed the limitations of current funding and how the resulting maintenance cycle compares to the recommended cycle. This item was reviewed by the committee and will be forwarded to the Executive Committee for review at the June 2, 2026 meeting. Motion: Referred to Executive Committee Result: Passed (5 - 0) Mover: Peter Gehring Seconder: Matthew Peterson Ayes: James Flater, Peter Gehring, Matthew Peterson, Joseph Roshell, George Rohmeyer, Jr. Nayes: None Absent: None 7. Agenda Items for Future Consideration 8. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at: 10:56 AM Result: Passed (5 - 0) Mover: Matthew Peterson Seconder: Joseph Roshell Ayes: James Flater, Peter Gehring, Matthew Peterson, Joseph Roshell, George Rohmeyer, Jr. Absent: None Page 5 of 26 BALANCE TRANSFERS INTERNAL TOTAL BALANCE FUND 01/01/26 & APPROP. TRANSFERS REVENUE AVAILABLE EXPENDITURE 6/6/2026 ADMINISTRATION 205,196.65 546,858.00 166,358.16 918,412.81 316,111.99 602,300.82 LAND ACQUISITION 371,086.06 0.00 100.00 371,186.06 0.00 371,186.06 TOTAL MACHINERY 1,024,904.15 0.00 2,982,070.16 4,006,974.31 3,283,357.26 723,617.05 MACHINERY 0.00 2,982,070.16 2,982,070.16 3,032,870.42 BUILDINGS & GROUNDS 250,486.84 TOTAL MAINTENANCE 440,052.04 1,750,000.00 0.00 505,549.52 2,695,601.56 2,591,658.12 103,943.44 MAINTENANCE-CTHS (283,199.91) 250,000.00 504,832.52 471,632.61 1,281,439.84 (809,807.23) WINTER MAINT-CTHS 723,251.95 1,500,000.00 717.00 2,223,968.95 1,310,218.28 913,750.67 ROAD CONST-CTHS 3,065,862.31 3,152,268.00 82,302.76 6,300,433.07 1,074,619.24 5,225,813.83 BRIDGE CONST-CTHS 2,401,477.31 1,616,472.00 125,084.45 4,143,033.76 204,249.81 3,938,783.95 BRIDGE CONST-LOCAL RD 128,264.97 109,540.00 0.00 237,804.97 35,474.98 202,329.99 GRAVEL PITS (407,334.52) 0.00 279,307.00 (128,027.52) 322,050.50 (450,078.02) TOTAL NON-HIGHWAY FLEET 161,987.50 650,000.00 26,148.35 838,135.85 301,300.40 536,835.45 NON-HIGHWAY FLEET - OPERATIONS 155,177.94 350,000.00 21,973.35 527,151.29 134,867.13 392,284.16 NON-HIGHWAY FLEET - VEHICLES 6,809.56 300,000.00 4,175.00 310,984.56 166,433.27 144,551.29 TOTALS 7,391,496.47 7,825,138.00 0.00 4,166,920.40 19,383,554.87 8,128,822.30 11,254,732.57 2026 ANALYSIS OF HIGHWAY FUNDS Page 6 of 26 2317 "OO" CTH OO (Design) Business 53 - STH 124 20,000.00 7,097.23 27,097.23 8,871.55 18,225.68 15,482.41 33,708.09 2545 "R" CTH R (Design) STH 64 - STH 178 (36,627.00) (36,627.00) 210,414.35 (247,041.35) 40,000.00 (207,041.35) 2546 "D" CTH D (Design) CTH O - CTH S West 12,341.18 12,341.18 4,530.00 7,811.18 317,520.00 325,331.18 2654 "MM" CTH MM (Design) CTH X - STH 27 (54,658.88) 10,000.00 (44,658.88) 7,203.75 (51,862.63) 90,000.00 38,137.37 0.00 0.00 2534 "J" CTH J & 50th Avenue Roundabout 20,000.00 15,205.53 35,205.53 19,006.93 16,198.60 16,198.60 2553 "OO" CTH OO Business 53 - STH 124 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 2655 "R" CTH R STH 64 - STH 178 0.00 380,000.00 380,000.00 7,380.98 372,619.02 450,000.00 580,000.00 1,402,619.02 2656 "CC" CTH CC CTH Z - 239th Ave 0.00 20,369.00 20,369.00 20,369.00 183,324.00 203,693.00 2657 "J" CTH J STH 29 (South) - CTH X 0.00 280,000.00 280,000.00 785.84 279,214.16 15,000.00 294,214.16 2658 "SS" CTH SS CTH Q - Barron County 0.00 120,000.00 120,000.00 447.31 119,552.69 85,000.00 204,552.69 2659 "O" CTH O CTH XX - STH 27 0.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 362.84 29,637.16 605,000.00 634,637.16 2660 "M" CTH M Front St. - CTH SS 0.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 2661 "OO" CTH OO CTH P - 160th St. 0.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 324,883.62 (304,883.62) 485,000.00 180,116.38 2662 "K" CTH K CTH O North - CTH O South 0.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 30,000.00 95,000.00 125,000.00 0.00 2444 Countywide Safety Action SS4A (49,982.20) 50,000.00 17.80 9,053.77 (9,035.97) (9,035.97) 555 Rut Wedging 20,961.98 20,961.98 20,961.98 20,961.98 666 Pavement Maintenance 0.00 826,899.00 826,899.00 80,531.14 746,367.86 746,367.86 444 Miscellaneous Engineering 31,500.00 50,000.00 81,500.00 4,550.00 76,950.00 76,950.00 888 Miscellaneous Road Projects/Culverts 123,510.71 300,000.00 423,510.71 136,498.94 287,011.77 287,011.77 999 Supervision 0.00 590,000.00 590,000.00 240,837.45 349,162.55 349,162.55 2419 "T" CTH T Corridor Expansion 1,130,416.95 500,000.00 1,630,416.95 19,260.77 1,611,156.18 1,611,156.18 777 Contingency 1,823,172.53 1,823,172.53 1,823,172.53 1,823,172.53 Projects Under Review for Closing With State 5,227.04 5,227.04 5,227.04 5,227.04 TOTALS 3,065,862.31 3,212,268.00 22,302.76 6,300,433.07 1,074,619.24 5,225,813.83 1,750,000.00 1,226,326.41 0.00 8,202,140.24 Fed/State Aid Anticipated Other Anticipated Balance Including Anticipated Revenues 2026 HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION Job No. Description 1/1/2026 Appropriations Transfer Total Available Expenditures YTD Balance 06/06/26 Bonding Anticipated Page 7 of 26 6/6/2026 Year Budgeted Town Road Distance from nearest intersection Location Description Project Cost County Aid Requested Amt. raised by local unit 2026 County Pymts Remaining Balance 2026 Birch Creek 190th St 1 3/4 miles Sec. 6, T32N, R07W Replace 78" x 50' arch pipe 24,560.00$ 12,280.00$ 12,280.00$ 12,280.00$ 2026 Colburn 170th Ave 1 mile from CTH G Sec. 11, T30N, R05W Preliminary Design 2,900.00$ 1,450.00$ 1,450.00$ 1,450.00$ 2026 Cooks Valley 186th Ave 1,760 ft East of 60th St Sec. 1, T30N, R10W Replace and/or Realine 3 culverts 45,000.00$ 22,500.00$ 22,500.00$ 22,500.00$ 2026 Cooks Valley 186th Ave 1,853 ft East of 50th St Sec. 2, T30N, R10W Replace existing culvert 7,000.00$ 3,500.00$ 3,500.00$ 3,500.00$ 2026 Delmar 130th Ave .60 mile East of CTH D Sec. 6, T30N, R05W Installation of heavy rip rap around B-09-120 pier 3,790.00$ 1,895.00$ 1,895.00$ 1,895.00$ -$ 2026 Eagle Point 125th Ave West 927 ft from 150th St Sec. 5, T29N, R08W Replace 3-72" cprc with 3-84" cpcs 8,094.00$ 4,047.00$ 4,047.00$ 4,047.00$ -$ 2026 Eagle Point 125th Ave East 2,400 ft from STH 124 Sec. 5, T29N, R08W Replace 130' x 86" CPMA with structural arch pipe 9,425.00$ 4,712.50$ 4,712.50$ 4,712.50$ -$ 2026 Edson 350th Ave .288 mile N of 50th Ave Sec. 10/11, T28N, R05W Replace 6' x 8' x 45' culvert 15,500.00$ 7,750.00$ 7,750.00$ 7,750.00$ 2026 Edson 30th Ave .10 mile East of 350th St Sec. 23/26, T28N, R05W Replace 9' x 14' x 55' culvert 34,210.00$ 17,105.00$ 17,105.00$ 17,105.00$ 2026 Goetz 120th Ave 600 ft E of 270th St Sec. 4/9, T29N, R06W Replace existing 14' x 9'7" multiplate arch 68,600.00$ 34,300.00$ 34,300.00$ 34,300.00$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ TOTALS 219,079.00$ 109,539.50$ 109,539.50$ 10,654.50$ 98,885.00$ Year Budgeted Town Road Distance from nearest intersection Location Description 1/1/26 Balance 2026 County Pymts Remaining Balance 2014/17/19 Lafayette 195th St .6 mi S of CTH X Sec. 7, T28N, R7W Replace existing bridge P-09-040 69,700.65$ 69,700.65$ 2022 Sigel 240th St 1,150 ft S of 40th Ave Sec. 23, T28N,R7W Design Fees to Replace existing Bridge P-09-176 -$ 2023 Bloomer 225th Ave 365 ft E of 83rd St Sec. 17, T31N, R9W Design Fees to Replace existing Bridge P-09-105 1,641.23$ (1,641.23)$ 2023 Bloomer 190th Ave 815 ft W of STH 64 Sec. 33, T31N, R9W Design Fees to Replace existing Bridge P-09-124 3,919.18$ (3,919.18)$ 2023 Edson 370th St .45 miles N of 25th Ave Sec. 25, T28N, R5W Design Fees to Replace existing Bridge P-09-932 1,505.63$ (1,505.63)$ 2023 Arthur 155th Ave 450 ft East of 250th St Sec. 19, T30N, R6W Replace existing Bridge P-09-119 5,243.45$ 5,243.45$ 2024 Edson 20th Ave .42 miles E of 295th St Sec. 35, T28N, R6W Misc. Costs for Bridge P-09-168 0.42$ (0.42)$ 2025 Colburn 322nd Ave .1 mile N of CTH S Sec. 19, T30N, R5W Replace 48" culvert 5,250.00$ 5,250.00$ 2025 Cooks Valley 148th Ave 980 ft from 70th St & 148th Ave Sec. 25, T30N, R10W Replace culvert 2,250.00$ 2,250.00$ 2025 Edson 330th St 1/4 mile North of 30th Ave Sec. 20/21, T28N, R5W Replace 7' x 11' x 44' culvert 11,750.00$ 9,832.90$ 1,917.10$ 2025 Edson 330th St 1/2 mile South of County V Sec. 16/17, T28N, R5W Replace 48" x 50' culvert 3,275.00$ 2,791.12$ 483.88$ 2025 Sampson 160th St .2 mile North of CTH M Sec. 22, T32N, R8W Replace existing 54" culvert 7,208.45$ 7,208.45$ 2025 Wheaton 65th Ave 300 ft East of 95th St Sec. 04, T28N, R9W Pour concrete under bridge abutment 5,130.00$ 5,130.00$ -$ -$ Miscellaneous Balance 18,457.42$ $ 18,457.42 Fund Balance Usage $ 0.50 TOTALS 128,264.97$ -$ -$ 24,820.48$ 103,444.99$ Total Balance of County Aid Bridges 35,474.98$ 202,329.99$ County Aid Bridges Previous Years County Aid Bridge Page 8 of 26 Expenditures Balance Fed/State Aid Other Revenues YTD 6/6/2026 Anticipated Anticipated 2364 "H" Design "H" Little Otter Creek Bridge P09052 32,515.08 32,515.08 1,117.01 31,398.07 31,398.07 2366 "Q" Design CTH "Q" Tilden Creek Bridge (34,391.25) (34,391.25) (34,391.25) (34,391.25) 2468 "K" Design CTH "K" Yellow River Bridge 13,566.78 39,894.36 53,461.14 49,867.95 3,593.19 36,669.67 40,262.86 2469 "Y" Design "Y" Bridge over Chippewa River B09123 32,613.23 80,695.64 113,308.87 100,943.12 12,365.75 78,114.19 90,479.94 2574 "O" Design "O" Bridge over Yellow River B09382 46,077.14 4,494.45 50,571.59 5,618.06 44,953.53 180,051.40 225,004.93 2577 "S" Design "S" Yellow River Bridge B09009 (3,320.98) (3,320.98) 163.06 (3,484.04) 341,200.00 337,715.96 2576 "MM" Design "MM" Hay Creek Bridge P09068 (1,776.61) (1,776.61) (1,776.61) 171,600.00 169,823.39 2578 "X" Design "X" Elk Creek Bridge B09372 (951.23) (951.23) (951.23) 168,900.00 167,948.77 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2679 "Y" "Y" Chippewa River Bridge B09123 - Bridge Rehab. 786,560.00 786,560.00 786,560.00 3,144,240.00 3,930,800.00 2680 "H" "H" Little Otter Creek Bridge P09052 149,912.00 149,912.00 149,912.00 149,912.00 0.00 0.00 2575 "M" CTH "M" Bridge Replacement B-09-003 1,662,173.12 500,000.00 2,162,173.12 5,330.90 2,156,842.22 2,156,842.22 001 Miscellaneous Bridge 648,142.96 180,000.00 828,142.96 41,209.71 786,933.25 786,933.25 Total Misc. Repairs Expenditures YTD 41,209.71 786,933.25 0.00 0.00 786,933.25 Projects Under Review for Closing With State 6,829.07 6,829.07 6,829.07 6,829.07 TOTALS 2,401,477.31 1,616,472.00 125,084.45 4,143,033.76 204,249.81 3,938,783.95 4,120,775.26 0.00 5,902,716.99 2026 HIGHWAY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Job No. Description 1/1/2026 Appropriations Transfers/ Revenues Total Available Balance Including Anticipated Revenues Page 9 of 26 Category Budgeted Spent Balance % Spent Winter Maintenance $1,500,000 $1,195,494 $304,506 79.70% County Maintenance $2,373,031 $1,281,440 $1,091,591 54.00% Chippewa County Highway Department Dashboard $0 $500,000 $1,000,000 $1,500,000 $2,000,000 $2,500,000 Winter Maintenance County Maintenance Chippewa County Highway Department Budget Overview Spent Balance Page 10 of 26 6/17/2026 1 Exploring the Highway Department for EfficienciesChris Elstran – Chippewa County Highway CommissionerHighway Committee: June 24, 2026 Proposed EfficiencyExploring the possibility of expanding fleet maintenance services to additional county departments, including the Sheriff’s Department, EMS, Parks, and other county-owned vehicles and equipment. 1 2 Page 11 of 26 6/17/2026 2 Evaluation and Response•We currently provide maintenance services for other county departments, including repairs that are not covered under the warranty when applicable. •We also provide service for the Tilden and Anson Fire Departments and have recently completed work for the Boyd Edson Delamar Fire Department. We previously serviced the City of Chippewa Falls Fire Department; however, the City Shops requested to resume that work in-house. Evaluation and Response (Cont’d)•We no longer perform new squad builds as we did in the past. This was discontinued for several reasons, and discussion about this topic have already taken place between County Administrator Andy Albarado and myself.3 4 Page 12 of 26 6/17/2026 3 Proposed EfficiencyExploring the possibility of increasing in-house welding, fabrication, and equipment refurbishment capabilities to reduce reliance on outside contractors and extend the useful life of county assets. Evaluation and Response•We currently perform 99% or more of our welding and fabrication needs in-house. On rare occasions, when a task requires specialized tooling or capabilities that we do not have, the work is outsourced. The need for such equipment is infrequent, making it cost-inefficient to purchase and maintain additional tooling for those isolated situations. Our Shop staff is highly skilled in fabrication and equipment rebuilding. They have completed numerous projects, including the design and fabrication of our pavement rut-wedger. We would be happy to have you visit the Shop, meet the team, and discuss the work they do. 5 6 Page 13 of 26 6/17/2026 4 Evaluation and Response (Cont’d)•The body builders we are currently using will require approximately 1,270 hours to complete our three new patrol trucks. Some counties are exploring the idea of fabricating and assembling their own patrol truck equipment. At this time, we do not have the available floor space and personnel hours to take on fabrication of this scale. Additionally, with chassis manufacturers varying based on the bidding process, the builds are not consistent from year to year, making in-house assembly less efficient and more difficult to standardize. Evaluation and Response (Cont’d)•Our Heavy Equipment Technicians work closely with the dealers, and we perform our own teardowns and rebuilds on equipment and components whenever possible. •Our staff works closely with our Stockroom and the Facilities and Fleet Superintendent to determine the most cost-effective solutions for each repair, whether that is a rebuild or a remove and replace approach. 7 8 Page 14 of 26 6/17/2026 5 Proposed EfficiencyExploring the possibility of utilizing slower periods for workforce development including CDL advancement, heavy equipment certifications, welding certifications, diesel technician training, OSHA programs, and other professional development opportunities that enhance long-term departmental productivity. Evaluation and Response•We currently require a Class A CDL for our new hires. If a Class B applicant is hired, we provide in-house training to help them obtain their Class A. When we hire Seasonal Flaggers, we also offer the opportunity for them to earn their Class A CDL. Several have taken advantage of this opportunity, and many have gone on to become full-time employees.Wehave also provided the training for other county departments. Our department has been asked by other counties and municipalities to provide CDL training for their staff; however, regulations do not allow us to offer CDL training outside of our own County employees. 9 10 Page 15 of 26 6/17/2026 6 Evaluation and Response (cont’d)•We maintain a very extensive safety program that covers all MSHA and DSPS training requirements. I currently serve on the WCHA Safety and Training Committee, and Chippewa County is consistently recognized as one of the leading counties in safety training.•Our welder was certified and, the County assisted with obtaining that certification. Recertification is scheduled and will be completed soon. Evaluation and Response (cont’d)•Several of our Technicians were formerly ASE Certified Master Technicians. These certifications have since lapsed because they are not required for the type of work performed in our department. Additionally, with our current wage grid, we are not competitive with the outside market, and the ongoing certification fees paid by the technician are not cost-effective for work performed here. 11 12 Page 16 of 26 6/17/2026 7 Evaluation and Response (cont’d)•Our shop staff has access to and actively uses manufacture diagnostic software for equipment troubleshooting and repairs. When an issue is not under warranty, we perform the repair in-house except in rare situations where specialized tools or dealer-only procedures are required. We provide training to our staff whenever meaningful and applicable training is available. However, training opportunities are limited, can be costly, and are often structured as sales-driven programs designed to encourage the use of dealership services rather than supporting in-house capabilities. Evaluation and Response (cont’d)•Shop and Field staff are cross-trained whenever possible to expand versatility and support operational needs across the department.•Managers are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities, and they attend training when it is applicable and available. We regularly take advantage of offerings from WCHA and WCAto support ongoing development. 13 14 Page 17 of 26 6/17/2026 8 Proposed EfficiencyExploring the possibility of performing additional building and facility maintenance in-house, including electrical, plumbing, carpentry, HVAC maintenance, lighting upgrades, and general repairs that may be performed internally with appropriate training and certifications. As my role as a Master Electrician, electrical contractor and State and DOA Electrical Inspector I’d be happy to help train/ instruct individuals that have some interest in that area. Evaluation and Response•At Highway, we make every effort to perform as much electrical, mechanical and plumbing and other building and grounds maintenance work in-house as possible. However, we do not have staff specifically trained in all areas of building systems and licensed trades. While our employees step up and handle what they safely and reasonably can, certain tasks ultimately require trained and licensed professionals. We are open to further discussion on this topic.•Work we perform in-house:•Painting (typically winter work)•Plumbing•Flooring installations (typically winter work)•Light electrical work (such as shop lighting upgrades, typically winter work) 15 16 Page 18 of 26 6/17/2026 9 Proposed EfficiencyExploring the possibility of utilizing technologies such as drone inspections, GIS mapping, and asset management systems to improve efficiency and reduce consulting and inspection costs. Evaluation and Response•We have our own drone, which we use for stockpile measurements, inventory tracking for crushing operation, and ariel photos. Current Federal Highway and WisDOT Bureau of Structures regulations require inspectors to be within hands-reach of critical bridge components, so drones cannot be used for bridge inspections at this time.•We work closely with Dennis Falkenberg and Sam Wenz to utilize the County’s GIS technology and expertise. Highway maintains its own internal GIS tab, which we use for a variety of operational needs such as bridge locations and weight limits, traffic counts, brushing and painting rotations, permitting and additional mapping functions. 17 18 Page 19 of 26 6/17/2026 10 Evaluation and Response (cont’d)•For asset management, we use software and GIS/GPS monitoring for our fleets of cars, trucks, and most of the larger equipment. This has helped reduce damage claims, particularly during snow plowing, and also aids in verifying complaints from the public when necessary.•We have expanded our herbicide program because it is more cost-effective than mowing the County Trunk Highway system two to four times per season. We recently added GIS/GPS capabilities to our herbicide spraying program improve tracking and documentation. Questions, Comment, or Feedback?19 20 Page 20 of 26 Statement of Explanation CTH T Public Hearing - Chris Elstran 1 Highway Commissioner Elstran will provide information to the committee regarding the 2 Public Information Meeting scheduled for June 24, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Page 21 of 26 6/17/2026 1 Farming Right of Way -2026Chris Elstran – Chippewa County Highway CommissionerHighway Committee: June 24, 2026 CTH S in the Town of Anson 40’ Right of Way - Lueck 1 2 Page 22 of 26 6/17/2026 2 CTH S in the Town of Anson 40’ Right of Way - Lueck CTH S in the Town of Anson 40’ Right of Way - Sahm 3 4 Page 23 of 26 6/17/2026 3 CTH S in the Town of Anson 40’ Right of Way -Buescher CTH GG in the Town of Bloomer – 33’ Right of Way – Arrowhead Faschinbauer5 6 Page 24 of 26 6/17/2026 4 CTH SS in the Town of Bloomer – 50’ Right of Way – Ingall Faschinbauer CTH SS in the Town of Bloomer – 50’ Right of Way – Wall Seibel 7 8 Page 25 of 26 Statement of Explanation County Construction Project Updates — Shane Birtzer 1 Deputy Highway Commissioner Birtzer will review the status of the 2026 construction 2 projects. This information is available on the Highway Department's website. Page 26 of 26