The county engineer’s employment contract and road vacation were approved at the Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.

The board approved an agreement with Jacob Thorius for the period of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025. His salary is listed as the 26th highest ranked annual county engineer’s salary from the preceding fiscal year’s Iowa County Engineer Association Service Bureau’s County Engineer Salary Survey. Thorius will be paid this ranking plus $7,000 each year for a total of $135,339 annually.

The meeting also included a public hearing followed by approval for the vacation and closing of a portion of 275th Street between Ginkgo and Fir avenues in Dutch Creek Township and the bridge located over Indian Creek. Thorius explained that they vacated the very east portion of the road some time ago, and the bridge has been closed since 2000, when it was deemed not able to carry traffic any longer. The county had no plans to replace the bridge since it was deemed no longer a necessary part of the county’s transportation system, and the road has only required access from adjoining landowners. The supervisors approved to vacate the rest of the Level B road and sell the bridge for $1 to the landowners.