Jackie Lallier
Wyoming Township Reporter

A number of disgruntled residents living on Greenway Lane in Wyoming Township this summer have raised questions regarding a current road improvement project which has been approved.

Keith and Deanna Petroske vehemently voiced their concern that “matting” was not used particularly in an area about three car lengths long where school buses and other vehicles have gotten stuck in the past on their gravel road.

Mrs. Petroske said she had checked into various information sources on the Internet and had talked extensively with many people in the construction field who told her matting would be of good use.

She said she felt problem areas should be taken care of at this time and not redone later.

Engineer Mark Erichson patiently and professionally explained the process for such a project in which he tried to discern the worse case cost and that he is in close contact with the contractor.

Braun Intertec was hired to perform borings and they did not identify the need, so in this particular case it was deemed unnecessary to use geotextile fabrics (matting).

This material only keeps road material separate and does not provide structural support.

The complete borings cost was $8000 and putting matting in would cost an additional $14,000.

Contractor Josh Dresel was also present at this summer meeting and explained that when he found areas of heavy concentration of organic material (trees, stumps, roots, etc.) this was all taken out.

This was true of the approximate 600 feet of roadway Mrs. Petroske referred to.

Dresel had to dig out some three feet of organic material in this area in order to get down to a consistent sub-solid base that was dry, thus eliminating the need for matting. Erichson concurred the density is 100 percent.

Mrs. Petroske asked if the contractor would be willing to extend the warranty to five years instead of the regular one year.

Board member Mark Utecht said he would be hesitant to give an extended warranty to Greenway Lane residents (even if the township’s insurance carrier would find this legal) when this kind of agreement has never been extended to other residents of the township.

Dresel stated $2 million could have been put into this particular road construction but it is unfeasible to do this. He cited the County’s CR-23 project where MNDoT was called to inspect the high concentration of organic materials at July Avenue and the method was approved.

The materials were removed, no matting put in and there have been no problems since this project was completed.

The upshot of this part of the meeting was that the Petroskes said they “might as well go home” and the town board reaffirmed its confidence in the past and present ability of Erichson and his firm in doing their best work for the township and its residents.

Dresel said he thought this was the first time in his contracting career that he actually had to go against his not making more money on a job!

The last order of business was the authorization to Street Superintendent Byron Olson to sell the gopher machine to a prospective buyer for $980.

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