The Marshall County board on Nov. 17 awarded and reassigned several local excavation contracts and voted to vacate a stretch of county-maintained tile that serves a property where a building expansion required a reroute.

Board members moved and approved multiple contract awards after reviewing competing bids for ditch and excavation work. Speaker 2 presented the initial set of bids for the West Bunch Ditch and later additional bids for a separate project; the board awarded at least three jobs to Beaver Excavating and one to Langfeld Excavating following motions and seconds.

Why it matters: These actions commit county funds and staff time to drainage and excavation work that affect local roads and property drainage; the Hekerman tile vacation in particular changes the county’s ongoing maintenance responsibility for a run of tile from manhole A to manhole C.

What the board did: For the West Bunch Ditch and a later, related project the board recorded the following actions in meeting discussion and votes: Beaver Excavating was recorded as the low bidder in several items and was awarded (recorded figures include $6,300 for one West Bunch item and $13,200 for a second project). After Ingram Excavating relinquished several previously awarded jobs (Speaker 2 said, “I contacted Ingram, and he decided to give 2 back”), the board reassigned at least two of those jobs to next-lowest bidders: a Burrell/Ballenger job was reassigned to Beaver for a recorded $10,850; another job (transcript label: Macumber Hain) was reassigned to Langfeld Excavating for a recorded $14,830. The board discussed confirming contractor availability before finalizing assignments.

On the Hekerman tile, Speaker 2 described that a property owner (identified in the discussion as Marlon Mullet) had expanded a building over the existing tile and that the board previously agreed the owner would pay for a reroute. The board voted to vacate the county’s maintenance obligation for the affected section and explicitly specified vacating the tile “from manhole A to manhole C.” Speaker 3 moved the vacate motion; the motion was seconded and carried.

Votes and procedure: Several motions were moved, seconded and carried across the contracting items and the Hekerman tile vacation. The board also approved the Oct. 20 meeting minutes before adjourning. The minutes and contract documents were noted as ready for signatures.

Quotes from the meeting: Speaker 2 told the board about the contractor changes, saying, “I contacted Ingram, and he decided to give 2 back.” Speaker 3, when pressed on timelines for completion, said, “I've never missed a date,” expressing confidence projects would be finished on schedule.

What’s next: Board staff indicated they will contact replacement contractors to confirm availability and proceed with paperwork; awarded contractors or county staff are expected to sign maintenance and contract documents as part of next administrative steps. The board concluded its business and adjourned the meeting.

Votes at a glance:
- West Bunch Ditch (award recorded as $6,300 to Beaver Excavating): motion moved by Speaker 3, seconded by Speaker 1; recorded verbal support in the meeting. Outcome: approved.
- Second listed project (award recorded as $13,200 to Beaver Excavating): motion moved by Speaker 2, seconded by Speaker 1; meeting record shows Speaker 3 voiced 'Aye' and Speaker 2 voiced 'No' during the exchange; outcome recorded as award to Beaver Excavating.
- Burrell/Ballenger reassignment (award recorded as $10,850 to Beaver Excavating): motion moved and seconded in open session; recorded 'Aye' support and award announced.
- Macumber Hain reassignment (award recorded as $14,830 to Langfeld Excavating): motion moved and seconded; recorded 'Aye' support and award announced.
- Vacate Hekerman tile (vacate county maintenance from manhole A to manhole C): motion moved by Speaker 3, seconded, and carried. Outcome: approved.
- Approval of Oct. 20, 2025 minutes: motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

All dollar amounts, company names and place names reflect the meeting record as spoken during the Nov. 17 session; some spoken names and figures in the transcript contained variations and were reported here using the most consistent spellings available in the record.