Thursday, January 11, 2007

Edmonds seated on county board

by Kenneth Lassiter

A changing of the guard took place at the county courthouse over a week’s time as the county commission said farewell to Lynn Luck and hello to Don Edmonds in the District 1 commission seat.

Luck’s final meeting as commissioner Jan. 3 ended up being relatively uneventful and, after a 15-minute executive session with 911 Director Susan Newell late in the meeting, Luck was presented with a plaque marking her years of service to the county. The commission later adjourned for a reception honoring Luck.

That opened the door for Edmonds’ swearing-in Monday. The first major issue Edmonds would face occurred quickly during the commission’s first appointment of the day. Eloise Tichenor, planning and zoning director, revisited the issue of a proposed residential development south of Meriden and just east of K-4 Highway.

In February 2006, 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. In March 2006, 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 required commissioners to vote unanimously in order for the proposed rezoning to occur.

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 then after asking for more information on the plans, including questions on drainage, traffic, emergency access and other issues regarding the development.

Commissioners decided in December to put the issue on Monday’s agenda to allow area property owners a chance to be notified and make plans to attend that meeting if necessary. Commissioners had attempted to schedule the hearing for Luck’s final meeting as commissioner to keep Edmonds from having to deal with it on his first day but the new commissioner had the issue on the plate for his first meeting.

Tichenor rehashed the issue for commissioners once more to start Monday’s discussion and presented commissioners with a letter of opposition to the plans from an area resident. Marty Schnacker was on hand to speak in support of his plans and several area residents appeared to speak out in opposition.

Area resident Cindy Mullinix said she had read the updated information on the matter and agreed with the addition of acceleration and deceleration lanes along the east side of K-4 Highway to accommodate the subdivision at the Schnackers’ expense but didn’t agree that nothing would be done for the southbound K-4 lane on the west side of the road. Area resident Wayne Hosey said the highway is already hard to pull out onto in that area around the corner from the 46th Street turnoff, especially during rush hour, and the state has refused to lower the speed limit on the stretch. He said now the county is discussing allowing a development of 20 to 25 homes to be added to further the congestion.

Area resident Karen Zachariasen also expressed her concerns about traffic along the highway where the development would access K-4 and said she didn’t think just a turnoff lane on the east side of the highway would make a big difference. Mullinix pointed out teens using the road to drive home after school at either Seaman or Jefferson West schools would be driving southbound and, if they live in the development, would benefit from an additional acceleration and deceleration lane on the west side of the road.

Commissioner Francis Grollmes said he thinks the lower speed limit in Meriden that Hosey said he supported was part of the reason for bunched-up traffic along the stretch of the highway being discussed. Hosey disagreed and said the whole area of K-4 from 46th Street south to US-24 Highway is the hot spot for congestion.

Zachariasen said once the development is finished Schnacker had told her he plans to move on to another area, which she said would preclude him from having to deal with long-range problems caused in part by the development. Schnacker pointed out once the subdivision is approved and the acceleration and deceleration lane is installed, the area would be made a no-passing zone and the deceleration lane would help with traffic. Meeting attendees pointed out that just because an area is a no-passing zone doesn’t necessarily mean people still won’t attempt to pass.

Area resident Bill Stanley asked about sanitation plans for the site and Tichenor replied septic tanks would likely be used. Stanley said other properties in the area had experienced problems with septic tanks because of rocky soil. Tichenor said a soil profile would be done on each lot when it comes to the county for a building permit to determine where and how a septic tank would be appropriate.

The development plans would also call for the building of an interior road. Commissioner David Christy said he would like to talk to state department of transportation officials about the development before making a decision and moved to table the issue for a week to allow KDOT officials to attend. Edmonds said he was concerned about doing nothing to help traffic flow on the southbound lanes and seconded the motion. Commissioners unanimously approved the motion. Tichenor said she would call KDOT to see about getting officials to the commission’s next meeting.

In other business Monday, the commission:

• Heard from Tichenor that the planning commission would meet with the consultant on the revision of zoning regulations at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Heard an update from George Pogge, road and bridge superintendent. Pogge said a pre-bid conference on the Lecompton Bridge project would take place Tuesday and he would report back to commissioners on the matter. Grollmes inquired of Edmonds’ opinion on the matter and Edmonds said he was awaiting more information on the project from Pogge before confirming his stance.

• Heard an update from Eileen Filbert, health department director. Commissioners signed certificates of completion and a request for final payment for the sewer project for Indian Ridge Sewer District No. 2.

• Signed beer licenses for Scott Stanley at Country Harvest Apple Market in Meriden and Fastrax in Perry.

• Heard an update from Mary Underwood, county treasurer. Commissioners approved the county’s banks as the designated county banks for 2007. Underwood also discussed investment procedures for certificates of deposit with the commission. Commissioners voted that the bids for the CDs be presented to the board when time limits allow and to authorize Underwood to proceed if it isn’t possible to get the bids to the board in a timely matter with a report to the commission to follow.

• Designated the Oskaloosa Independent as the official county newspaper.

• Left the courthouse hours the same.

• Approved Christy as chairman and Grollmes as vice-chairman of the commission.

• Met in executive session with Jan Hayes, county attorney, Underwood, and County Clerk Linda Buttron for 15 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege.

• Voted to continue the sealed bid process with a “good and sufficient” deed to be presented to buyers upon completion of the process. Hayes, Buttron and Underwood will work on the procedure for the process and report back to the commission.

• Met in executive session with Hayes for 20 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege.

• Voted to include a representative from the state department of emergency management and the county firefighters association in the interviews for a new emergency management director. The county received nine applications for the position and interviews are planned to begin next week.

• Met in executive session with Newell and Hayes for 20 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel and attorney-client privilege.

• Discussed road conditions on Oak Road south of Williamstown with Eddie Clare, Meriden. In business Jan. 3, the commission:

• Heard an update from Tichenor. She reported the county issued 78 residential building permits in 2006 for a total construction cost of $10.56 million. The average cost of construction was $135,493.59. Over the last five years the average construction cost per dwelling had been $117,669.48.

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

• Approved a contract with Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center for medical services for jail inmates.

• Met with Pogge and Hayes in executive session for 15 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel.

• Signed vouchers, tax change orders, a notice to the township board for a cereal malt beverage license and an application for a six-month extension for a Lakewood Hills grant.

• Heard an update from Filbert. Commissioners approved an amendment to the state preparedness contract and signed a preparedness grant with the state for additional funds for pandemic flu epidemic preparation.

• Met in executive session with Filbert and Hayes for 10 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel.

• Authorized Jan. 2 as a holiday in observance of a day of mourning for former President Gerald Ford. Grollmes voted against the motion.

• Amended a resolution to delete the $30 per meeting slated to go to the planning and zoning administrator for planning commission meetings held after courthouse hours.

• Met in executive session with Hayes for 10 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege.

• Met with Tim Bailey regarding an appointment to the zoning board. Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Bailey to the board for a three-year term to end in January 2010.

• Amended the Dec. 26 commission minutes to reflect Susan Newell had no direct or indirect involvement in the termination of Don Haynes.

• Met in executive session with Newell and Jan Hayes for 20 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel. Christy recused himself from this session.

• Met in executive session with Newell and Hayes for 15 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel.