Seasonal load restrictions now in place on Eddy County roads

Following the lead of the North Dakota Department of Transportation in announcing the start of seasonal road restrictions, the Eddy County commissioners declared at their meeting on Tuesday, March 20, that road restrictions will also go into effect on Eddy County roads March 26.

Motorists are encouraged to check the load restriction map daily, as restrictions may change quickly due to weather conditions. The 2018 load restrictions map is available online at http://www.dot.nd.gov/travelinfo.

Eddy County Road Superintendent Irvin Loe said that the frost is starting to come out of local roads, indicating that the restrictions were timely for Eddy County. Loe also told the commissioners that he felt the department was in need of an additional truck. The commissioners agreed and asked if the county is ever alerted about state auctions. Eddy County Auditor Patty Williams will inquire to see if there are any upcoming auctions.

Eddy County road department employees will be attending a training on May 2 in Wells County on gravel road maintenance.

The commissioners discussed the Veteran’s Services Officer and Emergency Manager positions for which openings will be posted. Williams said she had contacted Lonnie Wangen, the Veteran’s Services Commissioner, who informed her that the new Veteran’s Services Officer will be required to attend a week of training in Bismarck, in addition to a conference in Sioux Falls. Wangen recommended that a county the size of Eddy County will need someone about 8 hours per week. He also advised Williams that he doesn’t need to be involved in the hiring process, but will need approve of anyone the county hires.

Williams had also received the Emergency Manager job description. The position will require flexibility in training requirements and a degree of computer expertise. The position has already been advertised in-house to county employees with a 10 hour per week time commitment. The Emergency Manager will be involved in professional training, as one full-scale and two tabletop training exercises are required by the state. The manager will regularly prepare applications for and administer grant funding and continue to update policies and the hazard mitigation plan, which are necessary to qualify for grants. In addition, the manager will be expected to serve as a resource in the event of a county emergency.

Sheriff Paul Lies told commissioners that the court calendar is currently busy. He also mentioned again the need to set up a sale of county property. The commission will discuss this at their next meeting on April 3.