Resident disputes county right-of-way

Bourbon County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to ask Frank Young, engineer with Agricultural Engineering of Uniontown, to meet with a landowner who claims part of his property is now in a county road.

Mike Younggren and Bryan Slone, an attorney, attended the meeting to discuss the issue of the county road cutting through a corner of Younggren's property located on 115th Street near Indian Road. According to Slone, the road now curves and cuts off part of Younggren's property and has left a mailbox sitting in the middle of the road.

"Mike needs compensation for what's been taken from him," Slone said. "He can't convey his property if he wanted to convey it because of what's been done by the county."

Brent Smith, Younggren's neighbor, said the mailbox has been in the same location for 50 years.

Public Works Director Jim Harris said when he went to look at the corner, he told the property owner if the location of the mailbox is the county right-of-way, the mailbox will need to be moved.

According to Slone, the curve was not a problem until two weeks ago when the road was graded.

Harris said Young surveyed the property and located the county's right of way.

"As long as it's not in a public right or way, we don't care what he does with his fence," Harris said.

He said he also does not have a problem with moving the road back out, as long as Younggren can show him where the property boundary is located.

"It's a simple solution," Harris said.

The county will have to go along with the survey, County Counselor Justin Meeks said.

Harris said he would organize a meeting with Young at the site.

The is the second time Younggren has spoken with commissioners about the right-of-way. On July 21, Younggren said he needed to know the location of the county's right of way so he could build a fence.

Another issue Slone discussed with commissioners is the problem of ditches falling onto Younggren's fence and in the ditches as the county has been grading the road on Younggren's property. Slone said Younggren should be compensated for one fence post that was broken when a tree fell on it.

"Tell me which post it is and we'll fix it," Harris said. "I agree. If it's something we did, we need to fix it."

Feedback on jail site

Commission Chair Barbara Albright asked if anyone had received any feedback on the county's decision to purchase 13.7 acres along Jayhawk and Liberty Bell roads south of Fort Scott.

Third District Harold Coleman said he received a phone call "from a guy I highly respect" and was told they had made "a wise choice."