Commissioner, candidate clash over lake roads
Staff writer
A renewed demand for maintenance of roads at Marion County Lake led to an argument Tuesday between resident and commissioner candidate Greg Wyatt and commissioner Dan Holub.
Past county work on the roads established a responsibility to maintain them, Wyatt argued during public comment, citing statutes, court cases, attorney general opinions, and previous commission decisions.
“The commission needs to stop making excuses and do your job as an elected official by the people of this county,” he said.
Wyatt is the Republican nominee for the District 4 commission seat. He defeated Holub in the August primary and will face Democrat Randy Eitzen in November.
The dispute followed last week’s discussion of whether accepting subdivision plats also meant accepting roads for county maintenance. Commissioners also discussed road standards and required rights of way.
A commission led by Holub voted unanimously in September, 2009, to repair lake roads damaged by washouts and erosion, Wyatt said. Holub specifically directed attention to Hill and Rock Rds., Echo Ln., and Back Bay Ct., he said.
Spending public money and labor on those roads demonstrated that the county had accepted responsibility for them, Wyatt argued. Older roads could be maintained as built without meeting the 60-foot right-of-way standard discussed last week, he contended.
Holub challenged that interpretation during commission comments.
“I have never, ever maintained that we didn’t need to help take care of them roads,” he said.
His concern was whether designating them as county roads required compliance with statutory standards, he said.
“You don’t have to go to the 60 foot like you were talking about last week,” Wyatt responded.
“Well, you’re going to have to take that one to court,” Holub said.
The county provided material and used equipment where it could reach the roads, Holub said.
Wyatt disputed suggestions that equipment could not fit, saying semitrailers traveled some of them.
The two also disagreed over access to road material.
The county’s road and bridge department had not routinely left gravel at the lake for residents, Wyatt said.
Lake superintendent Isaac Hett hauled rock to lake roads for years, and two small loads of asphalt millings were delivered after an earlier request, but that was the extent of that response, Wyatt said.
Hett’s dump truck had been transferred from road and bridge for his convenience, commissioner Mike Beneke said.
Keeping a truck at the lake allowed material to be collected without pulling road and bridge workers from another job.
Millings were difficult to obtain because most were being recycled, Holub said.
Commissioner Kent Becker ended the exchange after Wyatt and Holub continued responding to each other.
Commissioners took no action on lake-road maintenance. Commissioners should discuss keeping more road material at the lake when Hett returns Monday, commissioner Beneke said.
Public comment had not appeared on Tuesday’s payday agenda. Commissioners added it after commissioner Clarke Dirks requested time for Wyatt, and commissioner Jonah Gehring noted that no separate regular meeting was scheduled this week.
A broader public-comment policy submitted by Dirks is scheduled for discussion next week.
The draft would prohibit stopping speakers solely because their comments were unfavorable, embarrassing, insulting, or unpopular. It also would allow rules addressing time limits, threats, substantial disruption, and legally protected information.
Ordinary criticism of an employee’s performance should not be treated as disclosure of confidential personnel information, the draft states. Disagreement with a speaker’s factual claims likewise would not, by itself, justify ending a comment.
Commissioners had received a mold evaluation and should inspect Lake Hall before discussing repairs with Hett on Monday, Dirks said.
The hall appeared dry when he and Hett checked it after recent downpours, Beneke said. Possible water entry near the roof’s ridge cap remained a concern, he said.
Tax distributions totaled $100,426, up $13,422 from the same month last year.