Fix those roads
Pat Weyrauch, Melba Weyrauch, Daryl Blaylock, Deanna Wagaman, Larry Miller, Marc Wagaman, Amos L. Swigert, Barbara J. Davis, Kathy Shepherd, Jim Potter, Jody Potter, Jared Davis, Brad Davis, Brenda Ge
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
WE WOULD LIKE someone to explain something to us. Lyon County road and bridge department spends thousands of dollars on new road machinery, but buys about 40 percent of the tonnage of rock for the roads that they bought five years ago.
This makes as much sense as buying a new car, but can only afford to buy 40 percent of the gas needed to operate it. Should we just pay 40 percent of our taxes? Road 140 (FAS route to Cottonwood Falls) has very little gravel and no crown. We, the undersigned, ask that these road problems be corrected now!
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
I agree. We have only needed gravel where I live twice in thirty years. It took an act of congress to get it. We got gravel the size of boulders. If you drive the country roads make note of where you are and whose house you are close to. It makes a difference in who you are as to how well your road is maintaned. Like someone said before, be careful of what you wish for. Also, when they redid highway 50 we tried to tell them the culvert they pu in was not big enough. Guess what? the road floods worse now than it ever did.
May 29, 2007 at 2 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
I hear you snake. Believe me, those of us that live on county roads know exactly what it is like. I hope people think long and hard before the next elections. It is time we get new blood for the county. How much of our tax dollar is wasted because of the stupid thing they let slip by. By the way, who is paying for the extra fuel it takes for these out of town trips?
May 29, 2007 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JessicaNelson (anonymous) says...
I voted for 5 commissioners...
May 29, 2007 at 3:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Griz54 (anonymous) says...
At least some of you get Gravel. West on road 170 roads G
through E it's been flooded so many times the road is breaking
up and loaded with chuck holes Hit one of these just right and
the flint they used in the cement will cut a side wall of a tire
(this has happened twice now.) guess who pay's for that?And
dont get me started on the bridge over Moon Creek. Instead
of the County Black topping it back when they redone the bridge they put gravel back in its place. Dont even try dodging them or you'll go in the drink! My tax doller's kept increasing and the service keeps decreasing.Would it not make sence and be money well spent to fix it right the first time.
May 29, 2007 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wasp (anonymous) says...
I agree. I live just a mile off the blacktop road that goes from Hurtig's old John Deere building (Now Pallets Plus) into Hartford. I remember when they blacktopped the last of it, they tore out the solid base they had with the gravel road and replaced it with AGLIME!!!! WHAT IDIOT CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA???? AGLIME TURNS TO SLOP WHEN IT GETS WET!!!!! NO WONDER THE ROAD IS POUNDED OUT WITH POTHOLES AND FALLING APART SO FAST ON THEM! It does not help that they run their gravel trucks and Semi's up and down it all the time. I see them on that road even more than I see farm trucks! That road would be in better shape today if they left it gravel
We got them to haul in gravel on the road we live on 4 years ago when we were hauling in fill for 2 buildings. We explained to them that we were having trouble getting up the road with a 2 ton truck loaded with gravel and we were afraid we would get stuck, but we still had to call a County Commissioner in order to get any gravel hauled in. We explained to them that the road needed large filter stone to build up the road base, but they still hauled in rock that was at least 3/4 aglime. Needless to say, the road is about in as bad a shape today as it was 4 years ago. I about got stuck with a 1 ton dually pulling a gooseneck stock trailer to haul cattle out to grass a month ago. Maybe they will start hauling gravel when they start getting calls to pull people through the roads that got stuck!
Another thing, there are a lot of places around here that the roads are 2-3 feet lower than it was 20-30 years ago because of them washing out. On the mile I live on, there is a cement culvert that the maintainer has pushed enough gravel off both sides of it that the water now goes over the road instead of through the culvert. Also, down on the corner west of us, the culvert is only about 1/4 the size it needs to be to carry the water that is fed into it and that corner washes out EVERY time it rains. West of the house, there are 2 places that now need culverts because the water goes over the road instead of down the ditch like it did 20-30 years ago.
May 29, 2007 at 8:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
I want to thank the gentleman on the maintainer that does our road. He is doing the best he can with what the county gives him. He did a really wonderful job with all the snow we had this past winter. These guys are out in all kinds of weather and it is not their fault that the county is to blame for what they are given to work with.
May 30, 2007 at 11:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Snake, I have heard what you are saying from other people. I did not think that you were knocking the county workers (the ones that actually get their hands dirty). Keep telling people what you think because election time will be here sooner than we realize. Hey, I will also tell you to ask the county engineer about crown vetch? He does not have a clue. People need to realize that just because someone has been here forever that they are only full of "it" and do not really know anything. Again this is the case where things look good in black and white, but when applied in the real world, IT DOES NOT WORK!!!! Also the county workers are paid low wages for what they do. Guess who gets the big bucks.Of course this is par for Lyon county. We also need a new bridge on our road(there is a semi that goes across 2 to 3 times a day). The sides of the bridge have long ago fallen in. I am scared to ask for reconstruction, because they would probably screw it up like they did the culvert on our road by highway 50.
May 30, 2007 at 3:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lyon (anonymous) says...
I totally agree about Virgil Morris. He is costing the county money! How can they county afford having him go out of town all the time shopping for trucks that the county doesn't need?!
All he does is buy, buy and buy. The county engineer doesn't stop it and the commissioners approve his spending all the time! Why does the shop supervisor always driving around with him?
I requested rock on my road and all I got was nasty creek rock that looks like mud!
May 31, 2007 at 7:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Luck you; We got boulders!!
May 31, 2007 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
taxwaste (anonymous) says...
Well while were on the subject of the County Road Department, why dont we look at the fine job they did on Clarence Arndt's property just to the east of the County shop. It appears that Mr. Arndt ( which happens to be a buddy of Virgil Morris) had several trees removed and culverts installed on his property, using county equipment and personnel. Oh also, those trees happened to be a wildlife habitat for the Bald Eagle.. As far as comments on county road conditions I would suggest that if you question the comparison of county road conditions just drive past Virgils house at 1423 Rd. 160 and see for yourself if the playing field is level or smooth!!!!
May 31, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
As I have said, take a look around you when out on the county roads. Make note of the houses and who they belong to, and you will know why the road is the way it is. This county has been this way for years. Again Lyon county and the city for that matter all runs on who you are, what your name is, and how much money you have. Of course, we still hire people from other counties to tell us how to live and pay them big bucks and they do not have to help with our taxes. Makes a lot of sense HUH?????
May 31, 2007 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
taxwaste (anonymous) says...
I think it time for an audit from an outside agency to find out where our tax money is going. It seems funny to me that Virgil and a chosen few can takes these so called equipment shopping trips to Canada in prime fishing season. What happened to shop Emporia first or for that matter how about our state or county? I'm sure that equipment could be purchased from a closer source without the expense of travel or delivery charges.
June 1, 2007 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
I agree to an audit. I would like a break down of exactly where my tax dollars go. Of course, they need an honest bookeeper who knows what they are doing. I would like an audit that is factual and no coming back in six months saying there was a mistake. I agree we need new blood in all aspects of running this county. Encouraging voting and people to go to all the meetings. Believe me, at the meetings you will realize who the crooks and liars are. Also the ones you want to talk about seem to not be around at those times. I do hope that the gazette tries to publish some of these posts. Of course they will have to clean some of them up. (HAHA) I just fear that the people, such as our city and county leaders, are not seeing or listening to what is being said
June 1, 2007 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
princess66860 (anonymous) says...
A few concerned citizens would like to know something regarding the yellow dump truck owned by the county. 2-3 weeks ago, it was supposed to be parked, the keys were to be turned into the shop foreman, and it was not suppose to be driven at all until it could be repaired, but it was seen being driven around the county without it being repaired by a mechanic that knows what he's doing, not theses shadetree mechanics the county has hired. Who OK'd the dump truck to be driven when it wasn't suppose to be? Mr. Morris wouldn't know that it was being driven when it was suppose to be parked & locked up though because he would be to worried about going to Council Grove to eat dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 3, 2007 at 4:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
I find all of the above comments very interesting. I went for a drive in the country. We went out east of town past that new engery plant that westar is building. It was interesting to see all of the construction taking place out there. But you know what was more interesting was all of the fresh new gravel the county had put down on Raod S and Road 200. It went just about right up to the entrance of the construction site. Looked to be about 4-5 inches thick. And you know, the last time I went down that road a couple months ago, that road was not in that bad of shape. Just does not make a lot of sense, Road S & 200 would not have been effected by any flood water and there are alot of roads out there in the country that were. Just makes you wonder who is paying-off who?
June 9, 2007 at 9:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )