While state statute gives county commissioners authority to view the adequacy of a fence, that likely only includes fence to keep livestock from getting out, commissioner learned on Monday. (Wix stock photo)
MOUND CITY – On Tuesday, Jan. 17, Linn County Clerk David Lamb reported to the Linn County Commission that he had received a request for a fence viewing by the commissioners.
Lamb said that this issue involved two parties in Trading Post, an unincorporated town. A resident of Trading Post, Sandy Scott, had filed the application and paid the fee for the viewing of the fence between her property and Josh Morlan. Lamb said that it sounded like it was a rusty chain link fence that did not have the pipes on the top to keep it from sagging.
County Counselor said that the fence viewing law is designed to view fences where livestock are involved.
Lamb said that it had something to do with dogs.
“Dogs don’t count,” said Thompson.
Lamb said he had told Scott that he would not cash the $22.50 check (by statute, each commissioner receives $7.50 to do the viewing) for the application until he found out if the situation fell under the fence-viewing criteria.
Thompson said he would send a response to Scott.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Learned from Public Works Director Shaun West that he and Commission Chair Danny McCullough had met with officials from Walnut Township in Missouri about State Line Road. He said that Linn County had repaired the one-half mile section of the road by filling in the potholes.
West said that, since rain was coming in tonight, the repairs would be ruined if gravel were not spread on the road today. In the border agreement with the township, after these repairs Linn County would not be responsible for this section of the road.
• Learned from West that employee Joseph Oldham’s funeral was going to be on Friday, Jan. 20, in Olathe from 10 a.m to noon. He said that he expected the operations of public works to be considerably affected that day because of the employee policy allowing four hours off.
West said that Oldham had worked in the north shop but had also worked some in the south shop and with the asphalt department.
• Entered into a training agreement with Nicholas Mitchell to provide CDL training for him for two months and he will stay with the county for 12 months. If he leaves his employment with the county before that time, he will have to pay back a prorated part of the training fee of $3,500.
• Hired Daniel Parsons as an equipment operator for the north shop at the rate of $16.49 an hour.
• Allowed Public Works Assistant Director Jessica Hightower to go out for bids for 44 tires for the north and south shops. The tires will be for backhoes, road graders, dump trucks, and tractors.
• Approved Jessica Hightower submitting a government agency registration form and a $50 fee to the state Department of Agriculture to allow noxious week employees Johnny Taylor and Carl Wieberg to provide pest control to county buildings. Both Taylor and Wieberg have completed their training for this procedure and copies of their certificates will be sent in with this form.
• Agreed to have Jessica Hightower go out for bids for lawn mowing around county properties. This does not include the airport, the park, or the landfill.
Hightower said that when the county did the mowing in 2021, the labor costs were $20,031 but this did not take into consideration fuel or maintenance on the mowers. She said it is estimated the maintenance would be about $600 per year but with the variation in fuel costs, she did not have an estimate for that.
In 2022, the lawn mowing was contracted out for $20,165 to Scarecrow Farm Lawn Care.
• Gave Planning and Zoning Director Darin Wilson permission to move ahead with developing a resolution to allow poly tanks for septic and lateral fields but not holding tanks.
• Accepted Rex Bollinger’s resignation as a member of the Planning and Zoning Committee as he is moving out of the county.