County gets ready for low water crossing

Commissioners on Monday gave their approval for a plan to proceed with replacing a low water crossing in the northern portion of the county.

Public Works Director Jim Harris provided the commissioners with a report from Engineer Frank Young, which provided three choices for replacing the crossing on 145th Street, just south of Tomahawk Road.

"It's an area where we have a small concrete water crossing," Harris said. "It's insufficient. We need to do some continued work up there because it continues to flood to the north, the entire road there."

Based on Harris' recommendation, the commissioners voted to construct an 8-foot long low water bridge.

"We'd still be subject to flooding every two years," Harris said.

A second option is to leave the road at 91.5 feet wide, which Harris said is narrow and could result in continued flooding, Harris said.

A third option is to install four 16-inch pipes and raise the road.

The recommended width of roads is 21 feet, but Harris said the new crossing would be 25 feet wide.

He also said he would contact Sondra Clark, Kansas Department of Transportation program manger, to ensure the project qualifies for the Federal Funds Exchange program.

"There should be plenty there," Harris said.

When commissioners met with Clark in January, they learned the county had about $659,000 set aside in the federal fund program. At that time, commissioners didn't know what types of projects the funds could be used for. Since then, the county has redone three low water crossings which qualify for the funds.

"At this one, I know we've had some cars damaged because it's such a dip," Commission Chairman Allen Warren said.

One of those vehicles was a county sheriff's deputy patrol car, which was involved in a pursuit that went over the crossing, he said.

Later during the meeting Terry Graham said Alfred Farmer, his great uncle, had the crossing built in the early 1960s while he was commissioner. At that time, the road was dirt.

Roadside spraying

While approving a bid to purchase chemicals to spray woody plants, the commissioners discussed the effectiveness of the spraying that has already been done along county roadsides.

"I'm seeing where we're spraying some brush along the roads," Warren said. "It's kind of hit and miss. There was one place I was looking at yesterday on the east side, but we hadn't sprayed the west side. You can tell it does make a difference."

He said he would like to know how much brush has been sprayed this year, and also what mixture of chemicals has been used.

"I'm sure he puts more than one chemical in there," Warren said. "That in turn can help the rest of us understand what needs to be mixed."

Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman relayed a message about the need for spraying along Soldier Road on the curve near 245th Street. Coleman reminded commissioners about the conversation with Joe Savage during a meeting when Public Works Director Jim Harris was absent.

Coleman said Savage was driving a semi truck when he met a car "coming along at a pretty good clip" around the curve.

"Savage recommended we spray it," Coleman said. "I don't know if it's too late this year. I don't think it is."

The commissioners approved the purchase of 448 ounces of Escort for $3.54 per ounce, or $1,585.92 from Crop Production Service (CPS). It was the only bid.

Other county business

* Harris reported crews are laying asphalt on Yale Road, ditching and milling roads at Bronson and mowing. Blasting will be done at the Beth Quarry this week, as the county is nearly out of the proper size rock chips to complete asphalt projects this year.

* Second District Commissioner Barbara Albright asked Harris to confirm how far he is recommending laying asphalt on Limestone Road in 2015. Harris said he is suggesting between 240th and 255th streets, then north on 250th to the old highway. A decision on the work is forthcoming.

* Commissioners discussed locations that need attention: Soldier Road, which is becoming too narrow east of Hammond; culverts at 225th Street and Tomahawk Road.

Later Graham attended the meeting to voice his concern about the road. Harris said the road would be milled in September.

* Albright asked Harris about placing signs on 180th Street near Cavalry Road, warning drivers that farm machinery frequently crosses the road in response to a request from Sandy Winters. Albright said in June, after there had been a vehicle accident in the area, Winters requested the warning signs, along with a reduced speed limit. The county has reduced the speed, but Winters said it is still to high for everyone's safety and the equipment warning signs have not been installed.

Albright said she spoke to the sheriff about reducing the speed limit, but never followed through with the machinery warning signs.

Harris said the two warning signs will cost $150.

Albright said Winters is now asking if the speed can be reduced further, from 40 mph to 35 mph.

"We are not officers," Warren said. "We are commissioners. Who are we to know what the proper speed limit is? Wouldn't that be in the sheriff's arena?"

Coleman said he believed there should be a formula to base a decision on.

Later, Sheriff Bill Martin and Undersheriff Ben Cole attended the meeting to discuss the issue. When asked if the deputies are enforcing speed limits, Martin said it is something his deputies can do.

When Warren pressed for definite answer about whether deputies patrol for speed, Cole said unless deputies are busy on other calls, they do patrol speeds and utilize a speed radar. He said one officer has written several tickets for excessive speed.

He said deputies also respond to reports of excessive speed, but in order to write tickets, the deputies have to witness the speeding.

Cole said during a couple of recent traffic stops, deputies have made a couple of unrelated arrests.

He said the office received a report that county trucks were traveling too fast along one road, but when a deputy sat in that area with the speed radar, the deputy saw two trucks that were exceeding the speed limit by 1 mph.

Cole said patrols also have increased in the Fulton area in response to calls.

"Now they're complaining they wish we'd leave," Cole said.

Martin said his office is trying to be more proactive, instead of reactive, by having more of a presence in areas of concern.