Commissioners at Odds Over Road Work as Funds Dwindle
By Karen Gould

Clearing and restoration work ordered by Road Commission Chairman Frank Luepnitz on a 20- acre parcel of land on Brevort Lake Road is inappropriate, says a fellow commissioner, and has raised concerns that the project could hasten the depletion of funds used for summer maintenance work in the county.

The work is taking place at a Road Commission staging site, at the intersection of Crystal Road and Brevort Lake Road, which is used to store materials and equipment during road projects. Site restoration, ditch reshaping, tree and brush clearing, and road safety work was ordered last week by the chairman without a board vote, and carried out by the commission manager.

The project is being discussed by residents in and out of the area.

Mr. Luepnitz told The St. Ignace News he ordered the work, in part, because the Road Commission had promised Moran Township it would clean up the area a few years ago when a Brevort Lake Road project ended, which it never did, and, in part, to offer training to road crews.

In addition to land restoration, the project also includes tree and brush removal to improve vision for drivers at the "dangerous intersection," said Mr. Luepnitz, who lives across the street from the property. Ditch work, he said, will be done on the same side of the road to help protect the road edges and improve drainage.

"I asked Craig [Kelso, road commission manager] to get it done," said Mr. Luepnitz. "I also asked that they improve ditching to drain toward Brevort Lake Road."

Mr. Kelso, who reports to the road board, said he is following directions given to him. The work was not done in the past, he said, because the board did not consider it a priority, based on funds available for maintenance projects.

"We always wanted to do it, but it was not considered a priority for funds," he said. "Now, Mr. Luepnitz has made it a priority."

Mr. Luepnitz characterized the work as routine.

"It is no different than doing yard work around the county garages or gravel pit areas," he said, "and it's a place for employees to learn to use different equipment."

Other areas of the county also are under consideration for clear vision work, said Mr. Luepnitz, including Nye and Three Mile roads in Clark Township. The Brevort work was mentioned at a commission meeting by Mr. Luepnitz, although it was not acted on by the board.

"I think it is inappropriate for commissioners to be mandating pet projects," said Commissioner Lester Livermore, who did not know about the work until contacted Friday by The St. Ignace News. "On items of significant expense, the board should be acting as a body, and not as individuals."

The third road commissioner, Paul Amacher, said he was unaware of the work on the 20 acres, although he did know some clear vision work was being done in the area.

The work also is being done to help preserve the road surface, said Mr. Luepnitz. Brush cutting will help the chip seal hold up better by providing more sunlight to dry the road surface. Brush cutting is clearing the tree and brush growth in the road right-of-way, which is 33 feet from the center line.

"There is already one failure on that road," he said, referring to damage caused by retained moisture.

Last month, commissioners approved the purchase of a $20,000 wood chipper to assist with clearing work, although Mr. Livermore voted against the purchase. He said the equipment was too labor intensive and that cleared trees and brush could be left on the ground. Mr. Luepnitz wanted brushing work to continue and the wood chips blown into the woods.

At a Road Commission meeting April 17, Mr. Kelso said he was concerned about the road budget and that maintenance funds are dwindling. Approximately $150,000 is left in the fund for summer maintenance work, he told The St. Ignace News Friday, April 27, and the funds will be expected to carry the department through the fall, depending upon the weather.

The $150,000, he estimates, will cover the cost of one person and a truck from each Road Commission garage in Cedarville and Engadine.

The work at Brevort Lake Road, he estimates, will take $10,000 to $15,000 of that.

The commission receives approximately $2.1 million in gas tax revenue each year. With decreasing state revenues because fewer people are traveling as gas prices continue to rise, and with a weak economy in Michigan, Mr. Kelso said, he doesn't expect gas tax revenue to rise.

"My feeling is that some day soon," said Mr. Kelso, "I'm going to tell them we're out of money."