Quick checks status of her employment; commissioners also hear of road damage

On Monday, County Treasurer Susan Quick addressed ongoing conflicts with commissioners and offered to leave her post effective immediately on the condition she could still receive her full salary and benefits until Oct. 8, when newly-elected treasurer Rhonda Dunn takes office.

Commission Chairman Allen Warren said Quick was needed by the county and he had no desire for her to resign. He also said he did not believe it was in the commissioners' power to offer pay if she vacated her post.

On Friday, Quick returned to ask commissioners if they had made a decision yet and to deny reports she told a Tribune reporter that she was going to "clear those three (commissioners)" out of there. On Monday, Quick told commissioners, "I don't remember saying that and I may have, I don't know because I was mad that day."

Later in the Monday meeting, Quick said, "I'm sorry you got that information, because I did not intend it to be that. I don't remember saying that -- but I probably did."

On Friday, Quick said, "I did not threaten to take you all out of here...I don't know what I said that was construed that way, but I'm telling you I didn't say that to that intention."

Quick also asked about her proposition of leaving with full pay and benefits.

Warren reiterated that, as he said on Monday, that was not within the commission's power.

"It's not an option for us," Warren said.

Quick said something similar was done in Shawnee County.

"They did do that, but I am glad to work out my time," Quick said.

She also suggested that commissioners notify the media to alert the public about the date of the next tax sale and that properties up for sale will be listed on the county web site.

Also on Friday, resident Rudy Simpson visited with commissioners to make them aware of roads that need attention along a three to four-mile stretch near Garland. The already muddy roads, including areas near Cavalry and Deer roads, were damaged by detoured traffic, including large trucks, after a double fatality on U.S. Highway 69 about six miles south of Fort Scott on March 23.

"It was wet and nasty and the roads just couldn't take it," Simpson said. "That wreck on Hwy. 69 last Saturday afternoon about ruined our roads."

He estimated that about 500 vehicles were redirected to those roads during a three-hour period of time.

Director of Public Works Marty Pearson said the roads are still too wet to be repaired.

"We knew it was going to be a mess," Pearson said.

Warren told Simpson it would probably be "next week at best" before crews could begin to repair those roads.

Warren apologized for comments he made regarding construction of a four-wire fence at the quarry.

"I need to publicly apologize to the fencing crew," Warren said. "I erred. They did the right thing by putting four-wire fence up to match the fencing that was already on that property that we put up a year ago...I'm the one to blame since I was the one on the job when it was originally built."

Warren also suggested in the future that crews use old rolls of wire, even if it means splicing, and that crews should drill rock to set fence posts rather than rest the posts on top of rock.

In other business:

* Emergency manager Terri Coop presented her regular monthly update to commissioners. She said she thought the county was "extremely lucky" for having minimal power outages after three recent winter storms.

"It was pure serendipity," Coop said. "But we were prepared for it."

She said power outages were spotty and sporadic and were quickly resolved.

*Commissioners discussed what to do with voting booths that are no longer used in Fulton. Albright suggested looking into donating them to schools for the Vote Kansas program, which teaches children about civics.

*County Clerk Kendell Mason discussed with commissioners the logistics of dropping off and picking up election equipment to seven sites in the county. The discussion included the possibility of having employees of Public Works help with the task.

*Pearson said Public works employees have been repairing resident's mailboxes on 240th west of Jayhawk that were damaged by snow plows during the last snowstorm.

*Commissioners agreed to grant a two-week extension for Elm Creek Lake's out-going caretakers Nina and Jason Yakel to vacate the county-supplied residence at the lake. The original date to vacate was April 1, but commissioners decided to extend that to April 15.

*It was agreed to have Commissioner Barbara Albright look into a vacant lot of land in Garland that has been offered to the county as a donation from Wells Fargo Bank. Albright said she learned of this in a letter from Brianna Snook, of Wells Fargo.

*Commissioners agreed to allow Raymond Kopaska to construct a log cabin in Garland using approximately 500 tires as insulation for the foundation. The project has already been approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as a waste tire beneficial use project. The tires will be covered with dirt around the base of the log cabin, which is 142 acres around the west and south edges of Garland. County Sanitarian Tom McNeil accompanied Kopaska.

*Commissioners met in executive session for 15 minutes with Coop on matters pertaining to non-elected personnel. No action was taken.

*Commissioners toured the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center during the last hour of their meeting. See related story on page 1 of The Tribune.