DC highway commissioner retiring, DC engineer appointed as acting commissioner

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE — After 20 years on the job, Dunn County’s Highway Commissioner, M.O. (Mully) Brendan, is retiring.

Gene Smith, county manager, announced Brendan’s retirement at the Dunn County Board’s November 13 meeting.

Brendan will be retiring at the end of December.

To fill in until a permanent replacement can be hired, the Dunn County Board appointed Jesse Rintala, the county’s engineer, as acting highway commissioner.

Rintala has been employed by the Dunn County highway department for six years and has shown leadership within the department, Smith noted.

“It has been my privilege to work with the good people of Dunn County … thank you for a great 20 years … time flies,” Brendan said, noting that the 20th anniversary of his employment with the county was in October.

Final report

At the November 13 meeting, Brendan gave his final annual report to the Dunn County Board.

The highway construction season this year has been a good season, he said.

“We had good weather. We got lots of work done,” Brendan said.

Here are some of the road projects completed in 2012:

• County Highway BB (from state Highway 25 to the Red Cedar River) — 1.69 miles; $671,000.

• County Highway Y (from Highway 25 to the Red Cedar River) — 1.94 miles; $622,000.

• County Highway H (from I-94 to county Highway E) — 3.55 miles; $1.1 million.

• County Highway N (from Highway 25 to 210th Street) — 2.58 miles; $285,000.

• County Highway BB (from the Red Cedar River to county Highway G) — 2.33 miles; $85,000.

• County Highway V — shoulders repaired; $45,000.

• Various highways — overlay; 12.9 miles; $225,000.

• County Highway C to Y — seal coating; 6.59 miles; $108,000.

• County Highway E (650th Ave. to Highway 40) — 6.22 miles; $94,000.

• Bridge work — sealing decks; $41,000.

Jake’s Bridge

The County Highway G bridge project was nearly completed at the time Brendan gave his report to the county board.

“I drove over it today. They didn’t like me much. But I drove over it,” Brendan told the county board members.

Dunn County has spent $194,000 on the bridge by Jake’s Supper Club, and the remaining cost is covered by federal and state money, he said.

All that remained on the Highway G bridge project was to do some landscaping and other minor work, Brendan said.

The bridge was expected to be open within the next several days after the county board meeting.

Snow budget

Dunn County’s winter maintenance budget had $195,000 remaining as of November 13.

“I hope it doesn’t snow,” Brendan said.

Depending on how much snow falls between now and the end of the year. Dunn County could spend $100,000 on snow removal or $1 million, he noted.

The county highway department has a total of $390,000 available for the next two months, Brendan said.