Sharp stones may cost feedlot owner more than just flat tires

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A Lincolnville man who bladed sharp rocks off a road near his property and into a windrow might face a bill for doing so.

Mike Beneke already has had two flat tires — one on a truck and one on a trailer — from driving on the large, pointy gravel, he said.

Beneke, who used to work for the road and bridge department, said the rock was larger than the county ordinarily uses.

“What was bought is hard on tires,” Beneke said. “I wouldn’t use it for anything but a base rock.”

If the rock had been spread on the road while the road was muddy, it might have settled in and not been as dangerous to tires, he said.

“I know there was moisture in the forecast that weekend, but I wouldn’t put it out until we got the moisture,” he said.

He scraped away the rocks March 5.

He also complained about the manner in which the rock had been spread.

“It wasn’t spread like you would normally spread on the road,” Beneke said. “This was just junk dropped out in clumps and bladed over the road.”

A week ago, county commissioners told engineer Brice Goebel to re-spread rock on the road and track the labor cost as well as estimate the cost of any lost material.

Beneke said commission chairman David Mueller told him after the meeting that he might be billed for the work.