City calls for study of US-69 corridor by KDOT

The City of Fort Scott wants to ensure that it's fully involved in the planning process if a U.S. Highway 69 corridor runs through town.

As evidence to back that claim, Fort Scott City Manager Richard Nienstedt at Tuesday's commission meeting disclosed a letter requesting that the Kansas Department of Transportation start a corridor study. The letter, currently in draft form, requests that KDOT fund and initiate a corridor study of the highway beginning from the north city limits of Fort Scott to the Bourbon and Crawford county line. It also requests a review of the U.S. Highway 54 corridor through Bourbon County be studied, as well.

Commissioners approved a motion authorizing Mayor Gary Billionis to sign the letter so staff can send it to KDOT officials on Wednesday.

The city manager gave about a 10-minute speech emphasizing the importance that the city be involved in the on-going pre-planning phase for the continuation of the highway from Fort Scott to Interstate 44.

He met with Kansas Department of Transportation officials last month at a meeting in Pittsburg and another meeting last week that discussed the impact of the highway corridor.

Nienstedt expressed a need for the city to become included in the process so that all parties can be involved in the pre-planning phase of the study.

"This is not the capitulation there will be a by-pass, this is not any perceived notion that it will go through town," Nienstedt said. "This is a request that we start laying those alternatives out on the table, that we involve Fort Scott residents, that we involve Fort Scott citizens, and we start taking a look at each alternative for that corridor so we can know the impact, both positive and negative, of how that corridor will go through Bourbon County, and we can make an educated decision on that and be ready for the next highway program that comes along."

The letter asked KDOT to do the following:

Identify full build-out improvements for the corridor; identify the best alignment for the highway at full build-out and explore whether alternatives exist for such alignment; review the effects of U.S. 69's current route through Fort Scott; review the effects of a bypass around town; review how U.S. 54 will connect with U.S. 69; determine how adequate right-of-ways can be preserved and secured for full build-out scenarios; study land use and environmental aspects of the corridor; any other issues as identified by KDOT that need to be addressed; and determine economic impact on the community for each alternative.

Crawford County has selected its corridor for the future U.S. 69 bypass following KDOT's normal review and approval procedures, and Bourbon and Cherokee counties need to start the same process, according to a Aug. 2 letter from Pittsburg City Manager Allen Gill to Nienstedt.

The city's letter also requests that the planning process involve the public by including ways for citizens to participate, review and comment.

At Tuesday's meeting, commissioners took the following actions:

* Approved Fort Scott Police Department officials to seek bids for purchasing Glock .40-caliber handguns for each officer. The current Sig Sauer .45-caliber guns are 12 years old, require high maintenance, and have a smaller magazine capacity as opposed to the Glocks. The replacement guns will cost about $7,000. Also, commissioners approved a $5,207 bid from Continental Wireless to purchase seven hand-held Motorola radios for officer use.

* Approved three submitted requests from the Public Works Department for a sewer truck, flow monitoring equipment, and computer software equipment for a sewer camera. Commissioners authorized the purchase of a combination flusher and vacuum truck worth $282,800 to be used for wastewater collections to clean sewer mains, manholes and holding tanks. They also approved a bid to buy flow monitoring equipment valued at $21,136 that allows workers to measure water inflow and infiltration through the collection system. Next, they passed a bid of $19,300 for the purchase of computer software that will work with a sewer camera bought last year.

* Passed a $9,480 bid from Rogers and Sons Concrete for the installation of two handicapped ramps along with curb, gutter and sidewalk repair for the northwest corner of Fourth and Crawford streets. Also, they will repair a utility cut in an alley behind 208 Crawford Street that was damaged when a sewer main ruptured.

* Denied a request by local businessman Greg Schick to move a portion of Elm Street that is on his property at 206 N. National Ave. Schick wants it relocated, so he can clear room for a future warehouse.

"If the intention of the city to leave the street where it is, which I hope is not the case," Schick said, "then there will be probably future legal action on my part to determine what the actual legalities are."

* Commissioners also asked staff to gather information on the feasibility of creating policy on assisting local developers in construction of their property. Schick also asked commissioners once again to pay for concrete to finish a cul-de-sac road at the Williamsburg Subdivision off of Horton Street. Commissioners held off in making the decision until staff can gather information on future policy.

* Nienstedt suggested commissioners and staff hold an informal meeting in the Broadway area where neighbors could share thoughts with city officials about the safety of the street. "They can likely help us solve some of the issues we have over there," he said. Safety became a bigger issue after a fatal motorcycle accident last Tuesday on Broadway. Vehicles zoom up and down the road, which is narrow due to cars that are regularly parked on the side along with no stop signs for the greater part of that stretch of road.

* Mayor Gary Billionis recognized outgoing Fort Scott Economic Development Director Don Russell, saying Tuesday would be his last meeting with the city. "We appreciate all that you've done over the years and all that you will continue to do," Billionis said. "Thank you for your service." Russell does not know when his official last day will be, according to Human Resources Director Bob Johnson.