Last updated: October 2026
Worcester’s 10-foot culvert at the north end of Solberg Lake came back “fair to decent” in the county’s 2025 inspection. Town Chairman Jim Michler didn’t buy it. So he drove out, took his own photos, and sent them to the bridge inspector for a second look.
Quick Answer: The Town of Worcester board approved an updated DNR recycling ordinance and set a special road review for Tuesday, September 29 at 8 a.m. during its September 15 meeting. The bigger news came out of the chair report: a re-inspection now rates the 10-foot culvert at the north end of Solberg Lake as poor, with rust perforations about three feet in from each end. Michler said the town could face load limits within two to four years if it doesn’t replace the pipe.
The meeting was called to order just after 7 p.m. at W6895 Springs Drive in Phillips, per the posted notice. One supervisor was absent.
What Did the Worcester Board Decide on September 15?
The board handled a short agenda. It approved the prior month’s minutes after Michler flagged a misprint in the agenda. It also approved the updated recycling ordinance the DNR sent down, and it set the fall road review.
The routine votes were quick; the chair report is where the substance sat. Michler used that portion to walk the board through culverts, a delayed bridge, mowing, and a voucher list that he called one of the cheapest in recent memory.
Why Did the Solberg Lake Culvert Get Re-Rated Poor?
This is the item worth watching. The culvert sits at the north end of Solberg Lake, next to Hicks Landing Road on East Solberg Lake Road, where a creek flows into the lake.
What the 2025 Inspection Reported
The county’s 620 program culvert inspection rated it in good condition last year, Michler told the board. He said that didn’t match what he saw, so he photographed the pipe and forwarded the images to Roger Petrick, who passed them to the town’s bridge inspector.
What the Second Look Found
The re-inspection came back poor. Michler said the inspector found rust perforations roughly three feet in from each end of the pipe, scattered in small spots. He also said the earlier rating was flat wrong and that the pipe had not improved in the five years since an even earlier inspection rated it fair.
The Culvert by the Numbers
The pipe measures 10 feet across, the smaller of the two culverts on that stretch of East Solberg Lake Road. According to Michler, the inspector believes load limits land on the road within two to four years if the town does nothing.
From the board floor
Michler’s message was blunt: start the grant process now, because that work takes time. He said design and engineering would likely stretch the project toward 2028, with a replacement in 2029 as about the fastest the town could move.
Will Worcester Replace the Culvert With a Bridge?
Undetermined. Michler said lakeshore residents would prefer a bridge, and he has already asked a civil engineer about a box culvert as a middle option. Nothing is settled.
The first step is a grant application, and that has not been filed. Until then, the town is watching a pipe that one inspector called good and another called poor.
What Happened With the Hills Road Bridge?
It still isn’t built. Michler said the contractor, Pfeiffer Brothers out of Neenah, first set a start date of August 10, then pushed it to September 7. The project was engineered by SEH, and construction supervision falls to ISG.
The contractor is contractually obligated to complete the job in 2026. Michler said the SEH engineer has followed up weekly without getting answers, and he thinks Pfeiffer Brothers took on more work than it can handle this season. He told the board the town is watching the situation and does not know how it resolves.
Did Worcester Approve the DNR Recycling Ordinance?
Yes. The board adopted the updated recycling ordinance at its September 15 meeting, with a supervisor making the motion and another seconding it. The motion carried.
What the Ordinance Requires
The DNR handed the town a boilerplate ordinance and told it to fill in the blanks and pass it, Michler said. Most of the wording is fixed by the state. The town’s only real task was adoption plus a posting requirement that runs about 30 days.
Michler said the town’s recycling program already performs well on sorting. The hauler accepts recyclables, plastic bottles, and steel cans in one bin, so adding containers wouldn’t improve much.
Why Did Ditch Mowing Land on Next Month’s Agenda?
Monarch butterflies, deer, and a mower with a repair history. Michler raised a concern about cutting milkweed while monarch caterpillars are active, noting the U.S. Forest Service bars roadside mowing in the National Forest before September 20 for that reason.
He told the board a story about Mike Keller’s young daughter, who plucked three monarch caterpillars off milkweed in about two minutes during a recent visit. The counterargument came right back: tall grass near the road gives deer cover, and a supervisor said he counted about five deer on the drive in that evening.
What the Board Settled On
No formal vote. The board landed on mowing a single pass near the road each year and wider passes every other or third year to hold brush back. Michler said he wants the mowing schedule and possible mower replacement on next month’s agenda for discussion and possible action.
The Mower Repair Record
The town’s boom mower has needed recurring work. A supervisor noted a new valve and accumulator improved it, and that a grease fitting was added after a top bearing failed within two years. The deck was replaced a year ago after it wore through.
From the board floor
A supervisor suggested logging the days the mower sits down each season to inform any replacement decision. Michler agreed and set it for next month.
What’s in Worcester’s Clerk Report?
The clerk read the financials at the meeting. According to that report, the town started the period at roughly $646,328, cleared roughly $205,492 in payments, took in roughly $95,048 in income, and landed at a balance of roughly $535,884.
Michler called the voucher list one of the least expensive the town has seen, with a single exception from Jake’s Excavator tied to a job worth over a million dollars.
What the Voucher List Showed
One line item drew attention. The town carried a roughly $552 QuickTrip bill for gasoline, and Michler paused on it during the review.
Why Seal Tech’s Line Item Read $0
Seal Tech, the crack-sealing contractor, sent an invoice for warranty work tied to last year’s jobs. The town denied it, but the clerk had already added the charge to the voucher list, so staff zeroed the line out rather than rebuild the list. Michler said the real test of the new crack work comes next spring, when cracks reopen.
What’s Next for the Town of Worcester?
The board set the fall road review for Tuesday, September 29 at 8 a.m. as a special town board meeting. Crews will walk the roads and report back.
A notice posted September 29 set a separate special meeting for Tuesday, October 6 at 8 a.m. at W6895 Springs Drive, where the board plans to conduct a road review and report at its next regular meeting. Residents who want road conditions before then can check the Price County Highway and Transportation Committee updates and watch how the Price County Board works.
Worcester has drawn steady attention this year on roads and land. The town’s gravel pit and asphalt plant fight and the Woodland Lane land transfer both ran through the same board, and the road crew accountability debate from July set the tone for this month’s culvert review.
Weather will decide how fast any of it moves on the ground.
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See also: our guide to Price County public records
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FAQ
Where is the Solberg Lake culvert that needs replacing?
It sits at the north end of Solberg Lake, next to Hicks Landing Road on East Solberg Lake Road, where a creek enters the lake. It is the 10-foot pipe, the smaller culvert of the two on that stretch.
When is Worcester’s next town board meeting?
The board set a special town board meeting for the fall road review on Tuesday, September 29 at 8 a.m. A notice posted that day also set a special meeting for Tuesday, October 6 at 8 a.m. at W6895 Springs Drive in Phillips.
Did the Town of Worcester approve the DNR recycling ordinance?
Yes. The board adopted the updated recycling ordinance at its September 15 meeting. The wording is set by the DNR, and the town’s task was adoption plus a posting requirement of about 30 days.
Why are oak branches along Worcester roads not trimmed yet?
Oak wilt. Crews avoid cutting oak branches until the trees go dormant, generally around November, to keep the disease from spreading. Michler said the heaviest overhanging branches are on Solberg, Little Chicago, and Pine Grove roads.
Who chairs the Town of Worcester board?
Jim Michler is the board chairman, per the town’s posted meeting notices. The clerk can be reached at [email protected] or 715-339-3430.
Sources
- Town of Worcester – Notice of Regular Town Board Meeting, September 15, 2026
- Town of Worcester – Notice of Special Town Board Meeting, October 6, 2026
- Town of Worcester – Board Meeting 9/15/2026 (video)
- Wisconsin DNR – Recycling Program