County talks about icy roads
If someone were to be injured on an icy county road would Marion County be liable?
That was the question posed Monday by County Commission Chairman Howard Collett.
"We've never treated our county roads except for intersections," Collett said. "I'm concerned about what liability we have in this day when people drive everywhere to work."
Since nearly all highways are treated, drivers are no longer used to driving on untreated roads and do not take proper precaution, Collett said.
Road and Bridge Director Gerald Kelsey said that county people who usually drive the roads know the condition.
"It's the people at the other end that get into trouble," Kelsey said.
Kelsey said McPherson County treats its intersections and highly traveled roads, and Butler and Harvey counties spot treat.
Kelsey said the county could look into treating roadways with brine like the state does but said a truck would have to converted.
"We've got 320 miles of asphalt," he said. "That's more than the state treats in Marion County."
Collett said the worst roads were on Indigo and Sunflower from Old 56 highway to U.S.-50.
"We put more sand down this time than we ever have before," Kelsey said.
Bioterrorism
Jan Moffett, Marion County health nurse, told commissioners the county is part of a group that will provide a regional response to handling bioterrorism, communicable disease or other mass care situations.
Known as the SCMR, South Central Metro Region, the area includes Marion, Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick, Butler, Harper, Sumner, and Cowley.
Together, the counties within the region will be able to provide the following:
Training for mass care situations, coordination of surveillance indicators, reporting mechanisms and enhancement of hospital, physician and local bioterrorism, and infectious disease activities.
The response is part of the KDHE Public Health Preparedness and Bioterrorism Grant Regionalization Initiative.
Moffett said Marion County had contributed $10,000 to the $35,500 total within the SCMR, and noted the county would be sending approximately 20 people to a training session including representatives from law enforcement, EMS, hospital representatives, and other emergency workers.
Moffett told commissioners she has received grant money to be used for bioterrorism and if it is not used she loses it.
"If I don't use the first half I've already received, I don't get the second half," she said.
Moffett also noted the county was required to follow the Health Insurance Portability Act which sets up certain regulations for the protection of privacy.
In other matters, commissioners:
— held a second work session on the county comprehensive plan. Debate and discussion regarded lot size for development. Commissioners decided to meet with Bucher and Willis, the planners who wrote the county's comprehensive plan, for clarification and more information.
— approved a letter which will be sent to taxpayers who have appealed the solid waste assessment fee. County Clerk Carol Maggard said the letter will probably be mailed closer to May 1 when she and Transfer Station Manager David Brazil have the chance to finish the process following site assessments.
— signed a notice of award which will be sent to Mid-Continental, the firm awarded the contract to repair the exterior of the courthouse. The contract will now be sent to the Kansas Historical Society for review.
— discussed possibly paying off a county bond early in order to free up money in later years which would be used on the bond payment. Maggard was directed to obtain more information.
— heard the special auto fund has $1,3712.30.
— heard from appraiser Dianna Carter the county has a "very good ratio" study.
— directed Brazil to see if the Kansas Department of Health and Environment would allow a grant extension and a change in the administrator of a grant for the transfer station. Brazil reported the former transfer station owner, KC Development, had received this grant for years. The deadline is April 25.
— accepted the low bid on chemicals to be used by the noxious weed department, except for one bid which was the second lowest bid. Commissioners voted to bypass the lowest bid because it came from a Kansas City firm. The county has a policy to purchase in Marion County whenever possible.
— discussed the five-year plan for bridges. The topic will be discussed again April 7.
