By Lori Ehde
According to an informal polling of township officials, it appears there's support for a road signage system in Rock County.
The subject was on the agenda of Tuesday's annual Road and Bridge hearing, and 10 of 11 townships present supported the concept establishing a road sign system.
When asked if they still supported the concept if they had to pay for it, seven townships supported it, and four did not.
On a roll-call vote, Battle Plain, Beaver Creek, Denver, Kanaranzi, Luverne, Martin, and Rose Dell townships supported rural signage whether it cost them or not.
Clinton, Mound, and Vienna townships supported the concept but didn't support having to pay for it.
Springwater Township was the only township that opposed both the concept and the cost.
Township officials were asked to gauge residents' support or opposition of rural signage during their annual township meetings last month and bring feedback to TuesdayÕs meeting.
"I don't know if this sends a clear message or not," said County Administrator Kyle Oldre, who polled township officials.
"I appreciate this. At least we have something to bring to the County Board."
Rural signage will be on the agenda of the next County Board meeting April 17.
Important for 911
About half the counties in Minnesota have already named rural roads, and Rock County is the only one in southwest Minnesota that hasn't done it.
The primary reason for naming rural gravel roads is for emergencies.
With Enhanced 911, computers automatically bring up the resident's name and directions to their home. But if rural residents don't alert dispatchers when they move, 911 calls don't correlate to the correct residences.
If the county goes ahead with the signing project, rural route addresses would become street addresses with house numbers, and the dispatch mapping system would correspond with those.
Emergencies aren't the only reasons for assigning names to roads. Delivery companies, service workers and people trying to find a business or residence in rural areas usually find road signs helpful.
How much will it cost and who will pay for it?
If it's approved, one sign would be placed at each intersection, and there are 540 intersections Rock County.
Each sign will cost roughly $130 for a total of more than $70,000, and the expense will be shared between the townships and the county (see table).
According to an informal cost plan proposed by Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr, the county would fund all signs adjacent to township roads.
The cost of signs on intersections on borders of townships would be split between the two townships. The cost for intersection signs bordering four townships would be split among the four townships.
With this system, some townships would pay more for signage if they didn't share intersections with as many county roads.
Individual residence signs, estimated to cost less than $10 each, would likely be assessed to residents.
Sehr was asked if he'd looked to area counties for a good plan for implementation and funding. Sehr said in Pipestone County, townships funded the signs on their own. In Nobles County, the townships and county shared the expense.
When naming the rural streets, Sehr said Rock County would likely continue with the same street names as Pipestone's north-south streets that meet Rock County's border, and the same names as Nobles County's east-west streets that meet on the east side.
Pete Bakken of Beaver Creek Township wondered what would happen to border residents who live in Minnesota but have South Dakota addresses. "It's something somebody should consider," Bakken said.
Oldre said when the time comes, area post offices would be involved in the signage process, as would local fire and rescue departments.
If approved, other issues would also have to be resolved, such as who would pay for maintenance on the intersection signs.