Thursday, December 21, 2006

Commissioners to hear public comments on south Meriden subdivision Jan. 8

by Kenneth Lassiter

A proposed residential development south of Meriden east of K-4 Highway is back on the commission agenda for Jan. 8 after the developers sent answers to county questions to the planning and zoning department last week.

Commissioners first discussed the development in March. Teresa and Marty Schnacker proposed a 45-acre subdivision at the junction of 39th and Sherman just east of K-4. The subdivision as proposed then would include 22 proposed building lots.

Eloise Tichenor, planning and zoning director, said in March 37 area residents signed an informal petition against the development while owners of 19 area parcels signed a formal protest petition against the development, This petition requires commissioners to vote unanimously in order for the proposed rezoning to occur. She said then no traffic study had been done to consider potential state remedies to traffic flow along K-4 near the subdivision.

The planning and zoning commission, which recommended approval of the plans by a 3-2 vote, put a condition on the recommendation that a central lagoon be installed, although during the discussion in March the Schnackers said they would prefer septic tanks to a central lagoon as the lagoon would call for special assessments on the lots and may lead to less lots being included in the development.

During the March discussion, a couple area property owners expressed reservations about the plans in adding traffic to an already heavily traveled K-4. Commissioners decided to table the issue after asking for more information on the plans, including questions on drainage, traffic, emergency access and other issues regarding the development.

Tichenor reported Monday the planning office had received documents from the Schnackers addressing the questions. She said in regard to an engineering study on drainage in the development, the engineering firm contacted about the study said plans would need to be further finalized before the study would be worthwhile.

After some short discussion, commissioners decided to put the issue on the Jan. 8 agenda to allow area property owners a chance to be notified and make plans to attend that meeting if necessary. Commissioner David Christy asked if Jan. 15 would be more appropriate but commissioner Lynn Luck said that would be the first meeting for her replacement, Don Edmonds of McLouth, and it would be a tough issue to deal with in a first meeting. Christy agreed Jan. 8 would be fine.

Commissioners also gave the county’s elected and appointed officials a 5 percent pay raise for the upcoming year by approving two resolutions setting those salaries. One notable exception is the commissioners themselves, as they did not receive a raise. Their annual pay will stay at $19,339.06. The road and bridge superintendent and appraiser, who are both contract employees, received only the 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment.

The raises may not be the end of the matter for the department heads and elected officials. Luck stated her opinion that the department heads should be paid more to be more comparable to surrounding counties. Commissioner Francis Grollmes disagreed, as he said a Jackson County official told him he thought the salaries for Jefferson County officials were high. Christy disagreed with Grollmes and sided with Luck in that he would like to see the salaries higher in some areas.

“I’ve had heartburn about this from my very first day in office,” Christy said. “We’ve got department heads that run 24-hour services that make less than others who go home at 5 p.m. and that isn’t right. I’m not saying those other department heads aren’t working hard, but when you go by hours worked, (the 24-hour officials) are paid 25 or 30 percent less than the others.”

Luck said the county needs to look at solutions to the problems and begin to pull the salaries up with the surrounding counties. Christy said he would like to raise the lower salaries to even with the higher counterparts and then increase as necessary from there.

Grollmes pointed out the officials agreed to their salary as it was when they were hired and Christy disagreed with that opinion. Luck said the county needs to figure out the budgetary impact of raising the salaries and see how much is feasible to add soon. Commissioners agreed to approve the resolutions granting the 5 percent raise for most officials and revisit the issue later when they get data from the county clerk’s office.

In other business Monday, the commission:

• Reviewed and approved vouchers, signed tax change orders and signed cereal malt beverage notices to township boards.

• Approved a change in zoning from agricultural to rural residential use on 60 acres of land off of Wellman Road for Chad Ousdahl and the Ethel Ousdahl Trust.

• Approved a conditional use permit for Trans-Kan Investments to build and open the Kelly Storage boat storage facility just north of the Fastrax convenience store at the junction of Ferguson Road and US-24 Highway. Commissioners placed a condition on the approval that the building and the access from Ferguson Road be raised above the 100-year flood plain level. Commissioners will require the fill to be used for that elevation to be approved by the state division of water resources.

• Heard an update from George Pogge, road and bridge superintendent. Pogge said Osage Road will be closed between 174th and K-16 Highway beginning Dec. 26 for a period of 90 days to excavate a box culvert. People who own property along the stretch of Osage will be allowed access to their land. Pogge said US-59 and 175th Street are recommended as an unofficial detour around the work.

• Signed a letter to The Consortium regarding termination of their agreement for drug and alcohol testing services. The county recently contracted another company for that work.

• Heard an update from Kathy Wagner, appraiser, on activity in her office. • Signed service awards for Cathy Garren and Sara Gerety of the health department for 10 and 15 years of service, respectively.

• Met in executive session with Mark Richards, auxiliary services director, and county counselor Jan Hayes for 25 minutes to discuss matters of security.

• Discussed the potential of lowering the speed limit on 62nd Street west of K-4 Highway with Christy, who recused himself for the discussion. Commissioners plan to have a traffic counter placed on the road to monitor traffic counts and speed of vehicles along the road before deciding to lower the limit. Christy requested a 35 miles-per-hour speed limit.

• Approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of funds from equipment reserve.

• Approved a resolution officially recognizing exempt job positions in the county.

• Met with James Tweed, acting ambulance director, and Hayes in executive session for 15 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel and attorney-client privilege.

• Signed a payment request for a grant for Lakewood Hills subdivision.

• Met with Ramon Gonzalez of the sheriff’s office and Hayes in executive session for 30 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel and attorney-client privilege.

• Met in executive session with Hayes for 30 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege.

• Met in executive session with Mike Hayes, Jan Hayes and suspended ambulance director Don Haynes for 30 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel and attorney-client privilege.

• Met with Duanette Baker of geographic information services as well as Mike and Jan Hayes in executive session for 15 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel.

• Suspended Baker without pay for two weeks for “actions unbecoming an employee.”

• Met in executive session with Mike and Jan Hayes for 15 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege.

• The board will next meet Tuesday, Dec. 26, as Monday is Christmas Day.