Incorporation a possible solution to road woes

By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Commissioner Randy Dallke offered incorporation as a remedy to complaints about roads at Marion County Park and Lake.

Lake residents Dan Crumrine and Gordon Pendergraft spoke with Marion County Commission Monday. They wanted the county to help maintain private roads at the lake.

The county attorney and engineer platted the lake in 1940, but the commission never accepted the plat, Crumrine said.

Dallke asked if residents had considered incorporation. A city would be able to levy a tax to improve and maintain the streets.

“I’ve thought about it, and I don’t know,” Crumrine said.

In the past, residents expressed interest in forming a city, but the movement stalled, he said. The area has water and sewer service. A new water tower will be installed in 2010.

Commission Chairman Dan Holub said the county needs a group to negotiate with about maintaining the private roads. That group could be a city or a homeowners association.

If the county took ownership of the streets, lake residents still would have to foot the bill for road repairs, he said, citing Kansas law.

“I would rather pay a little more for quality roads,” Crumrine said.

Pendergraft said he thought permanent residents would be amenable to that, but vacation home owners might object.

Crumrine said he would try to organize a meeting of lake residents and commissioners.

In other business:

• Commissioners met in closed session for a total of nearly 2 ½ hours for annual department head evaluations.
• Rural Marion resident Harry Bennett spoke with commissioners about the Keystone oil pipeline that will go through the county.
• The county mileage reimbursement rate was raised from 50.5 cents to 55 cents per mile to match the state rate.
• Cooperative Grain and Supply of Hillsboro will provide 5,500 gallons of diesel and 2,500 gallons of unleaded for $16,402. Cardie Oil of Tampa bid $16,489.
• Transfer station truck driver Don Keazer received a $50 per month raise for working six months in the department.
• John Summerville and Beverly Cooper presented a preliminary road and bridge budget for 2010. They expect savings in some funds, but those are likely to be offset by increases in others.

The next commission meeting will be Monday.