Kewaunee County Board Chairperson Dan Olson is hopeful the mistakes made while planning a new Kewaunee County Public Safety Building will not be repeated as the county gets closer to awarding contracts for its upcoming highway shop projects.

The board approved borrowing up to $4.2 million in May for the design, construction, and renovations of the department’s main highway shop in Footbridge and its facilities in Algoma, Casco and Stangelville.

Just a few years ago, Kewaunee County Board supervisors were trying to find a solution to decades-long concerns about the county’s aging jail facility. In 2023, bids for a new jail facility came in $8 million over budget, and the county spent thousands of dollars on consulting fees before eventually shelving the project in 2024.

Olson thinks that experience helped the county plan for the highway projects and believes the numbers will be on its side this time around.

Olson says the board will likely be able to review bids for the projects at its Oct. 20 meeting, which will also serve as its budget hearing.