Landowner pleads with Winneshiek County to try less expensive option for 165th Street

Springfield Township property owner Mike Elsbernd got a chance Monday to talk with Winneshiek County Supervisors about the county's plans for road work on 165th Street.

County Highway workers have been working on plans to fix drainage problems involving the road in the summer and snow removal problems in the winter. But Elsbernd told supervisors his proposal—to have county crews clean dirt out of a ditch next to the road and put it in his field—would save $20,000 for the county.

County Engineer Lee Bjerke says putting the dirt onto 165th Street would raise the roadbed and would lead to snow being blown off the road instead of having to use plows to remove the snow.

Supervisor Mark Kuhn says it appears the snow problems are on the west side of 165th Street, while water drainage problems involve the east side of the road.

No solution was reached on Monday, but Kuhn promised "another conversation in the future."