MOUND CITY – Linn County Public Works Director Shaun West met with the commissioners to update them on county projects on Monday, June 5.
West told the commissioners that he would like to have a meeting with the cities and lakes about proper procedures for taking in trash at the compactors. He said that there should be an operators manual at each compactor about what is allowed to be placed in the compactor.
West said that when he was a Pleasanton last week, he found the manual and went over it with the compactor operator. After that, he received a phone call from city Administrator Teresa Whitaker saying that residents had been complaining because they were not being allowed to dump the same items as before.
West said that when the operators start following the manuals, there will probably be some complaints from other cities, but those were the state guidelines for what is allowed in the compactors.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Reviewed the Linn County Park report. The May income was more than $39,700 and expenditures were nearly $17,500 for a positive balance of nearly $22,300 for the month. This is a big change from April where the income was $27,700 and the expenditures were nearly $21,500 for a net gain of about $6,200. Year to date, the income at the park is almost $113,800 with expenditures of nearly $114,400 for a net loss of just over $600.
• Approved Commission Chair Danny McCullough to sign the employment contract with Assistant County Attorney John Meeks. The motion passed 2 to 1with Commissioner Jim Johnson dissenting.
• Agreed to assist the city of Parker to repair the road and trim brush on the shoreline of the Parker Lake. Council President Jason Webber told the commissioners that the city of Parker equipment was not adequate to do the job.
Webber said the seven acre lake only had a couple hundred yards of shoreline accessible to the water because of the brush buildup, and that is why they are requesting the boom mower. He said that Kansas Wildlife and Parks Fisheries Biologist Don George said the banks really need to be cleared off.
The commissioners agreed to help the city of Parker if the city paid for the rock and the fuel for the equipment.
• Discussed setting up another mayor’s meeting where they could go into more detail on trash compactors.
• Approved the bids for the guttering and flooring at the new Pleasanton Senior Center. The guttering bid was from J. C. Howell for about $1,100 and the flooring bid was from Integrity Outlets for nearly $3,200.
• Heard about dust control on county roads. West gave the commissioners information about complaints other counties were receiving road treatments there.
• Heard from West that he is going to put the former park manager's house at the Linn County Park on the list for demolition.
• Heard public comment from Tate West, Tanglewood Lakes. Tate West asked for an update on the events that occurred on May 18 when about 40 people converged on the lake development’s gates and removed them. He wanted to know the status of the individuals that were being sought for that.
He also wanted to know about how the county enforces four-wheelers on the road at the lake. He said that there had been a person riding one at 40-plus mph speeds for a long period of time and the sheriff’s office had been called. He said he would like to gain some clarity on whether traffic was going to be enforced. County Counselor Gary Thompson said Tate West would have to talk with the sheriff about that.
Thompson gave an update to commissioners on where the county stood with hiring and outside firm to look into the events of May 18. He said the firm had to first do a conflict study to make sure that the person they assigned to the case did not have any previous connections with any of the people involved.
• After hearing of Road Foreman Harry Wisdom’s plan to retire next month, the commissioners approved West advertising for the position and also setting up a retirement party.
• Agreed to put the discussion of remodeling county buildings on the list for next week.