Jasper County to Maintain Monroe Street Under New Agreement

County highway department will handle road work and snow removal on small section of city street.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Jasper County Highway Department personnel will be maintaining a small section of a gravel road just inside the eastern edge of Monroe's city limits. Under a newly approved 28E Agreement with the county, Jasper County Engineer Mike Frietsch says they will maintain the last two-tenths of a mile of East Washington Street, which becomes county road Rodeo Avenue.

Why it matters

The agreement allows the county to efficiently handle maintenance on a small stretch of city street, while the city reimburses the county for the work. This type of intergovernmental cooperation can help optimize resources and provide better services to residents.

The details

Under the agreement, the county is obligated to grade and reshape ditches, shape the road surface, and apply new surfacing material at least once every 10 years. Annually, the county will also provide snow removal and an unspecified amount of new surfacing material, as well as blade the surface at least twice. The City of Monroe will reimburse the county 100% for this work, which is estimated to cost around $4,300 for the first year.

  • The 28E Agreement was newly approved in 2026.

The players

Jasper County Highway Department

The county agency responsible for maintaining roads and infrastructure in Jasper County, Iowa.

Mike Frietsch

The Jasper County Engineer who oversees the county highway department.

City of Monroe

The local government of Monroe, Iowa, which will reimburse Jasper County for the road maintenance work.

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What they’re saying

“It obligates the County in year one, and every tenth year thereafter, we will grade and reshape ditches and shape the road surface. We will also apply new surfacing material at a minimum rate of about 600 tons per mile. So it's a regrade basically every tenth year.”

— Mike Frietsch, Jasper County Engineer (kniakrls.com)

The takeaway

This agreement between Jasper County and the City of Monroe demonstrates how intergovernmental cooperation can help optimize resources and provide better services to residents, even on small stretches of road that cross jurisdictional boundaries.