Posted on October 19, 2020
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stores dredge material at a temporary site near Homer, red outlined section. The Corps asked for a interim use permit to move that dredge material about 4 miles up Winona County Road 15 to a quarry site.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requested an interim-use permit for a sand storage site at a current mine on Winona County Road 15.
WINONA — The prospect of moving a pile of sand from one point to another brought the public – in person and virtually – to the Winona County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had requested an interim-use permit as part of a plan to move dredge material from a temporary storage site near the Mississippi River and the town of Homer to an active sand quarry 4 miles up Winona County Road 15, where that sand would find permanent storage or be offered to the public for use.
The Corps annually piles about 50,000 cubic yards of sand and silt on the south end of the city of Homer, which is located between the river and U.S. Highway 61. The dredge material is removed annually from the Mississippi River as part of its mission to maintain a 9-foot navigation channel for barge traffic.
However, 10 individuals spoke against the Corps’ plan to move sand each winter from the temporary storage site to the quarry up the road.
Luke and Angela Lallemont, who live along the route the sand would take, said the plan would allow trucks – one every five minutes during working hours, for four to six weeks each year – to damage a road not designed for that kind of traffic.
“There are tight corners, there’s no shoulder,” said Angela Lallemont. “You’re just moving the impact from one set of neighbors to another set of neighbors.”
She added that the city of Winona is planning to form a focus group to look at alternate sites for the dredge material, and the county should wait until that process is done.
Other objections raised were the noise of the trucks, the danger of the traffic to families, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists who use the road where the sand would be moved from the temporary site to the quarry. Some individuals even said the temporary site near Highway 61 should be closed and the sand removed.
Paul Machajewski, dredged material manager for the Corps’ St. Paul district, said the Corps is looking for willing sellers who might sell land to the Corps for its permanent storage needs in Pool 6, but so far have not found the right deal.
Commissioner Marcia Ward noted that the issue of trucks running up and down CR 15 was a major concern that had not been adequately considered before the public input at the meeting.
“I think one of the biggest things a county commissioner is charged with is public safety,” Ward said.
The board voted unanimously to postpone a decision and extend a new, 60-day time frame on the request in order to hear more testimony about a possible turn lane being added for trucks, information about road work from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and to join or hear results from the city of Winona task force. The board will address the issue again at its Dec. 8 meeting.
Jail bond
The board, on a 4-1 vote, agreed to a $10 million bond to fund initial work on the new jail project. The money would help fund planning and could include some construction costs.
Ward said she would vote no because there was not yet a budget for the new jail. Commissioner Steve Jacob said he would vote yes for this $10 million because the problem with the jail will take at least that much money to solve.
The county jail, built in 1978, was reclassified as a 90-day jail facility by the Minnesota Department of Corrections in 2016. On Sept. 7, 2018, the DOC announced it would be “sun setting the jail” on Sept. 30, 2021, meaning the jail would be closed.
Discussion has focused on either a 98-bed or 78-bed facility to be built for roughly $25 million, but Jacob said he would prefer a smaller, less expensive alternative.
Poll observers
Finally, the board voted to hold a special meeting to discuss adding poll observers from all the political parties so the integrity of the voting on Election Day, Nov. 3, will not be contested in Winona County. The special meeting will be held Oct. 20.
Source: postbulletin
