Safety issues are the main concern of local residents who live near BNSF Railway crossings at Roads U and V in Lyon County.
Chip Woods, Lyon County engineer, talked about the crossings, which include Roads U and V and Road 180, east of Burlingame Road. The three crossings are hump crossings, which are steep. The crossings jeopardize the safety of users and are damaging to equipment because of the steep grades. Three landowners use the crossing at Road U.
“It’s basically a safety issue,” Woods said. “Farmers vehicles are slow-moving and very long and are trying to get over these crossings.”
In 2003, BNSF Railway had tentatively agreed to pay $60,000 for the crossings. However, the Lyon County’s estimate was $160,000. Lyon County never heard back from BNSF, Woods said.
County Counselor Marc Goodman said the statue requires a crossing to have a 30 foot level top and no more than a six percent grade. If in violation, the railway can be prosecuted, Goodman said. The statute also states that the railway is responsible for two feet of the right of way.
“We can try, rather than argue about the two feet, we can send a letter to them and notifying they are out of compliance with statute and that we’ll bring a criminal complaint against them,” Goodman said. “Nobody has tried that yet. ... The grade is in violation of the statute.”
County Commission Chairman Scott Briggs suggested a letter be drafted to the railway and that a representative from the railway is asked to attend a public commission meeting.
“I think they owe these people an explanation of why they aren’t following through with agreements,” Briggs said.
In a Aug. 27 article in the Gazette, Steve Forsberg, spokesperson for BNSF, said the tracks at Road U and Road V were both scheduled to be redone this year as a part of track maintenance. The railroad ties were scheduled to be replaced and the tracks re-surfaced. Forsberg said both crossings were being worked on and crews would come back and lay asphalt approaches leading up to the tracks. Forsberg also said he knew nothing of the agreement on the railroad’s part to pay $60,000 for improvements to the track in 2003.
The grade leading up to the tracks was not improved during the recent work on the tracks, according to neighbors. Large rock was put on the approaches, making it impossible for machinery to get up and over the tracks and there are holes in the ground from where machinery has gotten stuck.
Robert Sullivan, of Community Corrections, asked for signatory approval of the unexpended core funding carryover request for FY2008 to be used in FY2009. Sullivan also asked for commission support to form a task force to review Disproportionate Minority Contacts data. The task force would be responsible for sorting out the data and making recommendations.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s web site, “Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) refers to the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2002 broadened the scope of the DMC initiative from “disproportionate minority confinement” to “disproportionate minority contact,” requiring an examination of potential disproportionate representation at all decision points within the juvenile justice continuum and implementation of data-based prevention and system improvement efforts to reduce identified disproportionality.”
In other business:
• Commissioners discussed the replacement of a security monitor for the security station at the front of the Lyon County Courthouse. Jeff Cope of courthouse security, said one monitor went out at the security kiosk and a second one is starting to get a wavy picture.
• Commissioners spoke with Russell Torrens of Lyon County Noxious Weed about the county’s hazardous waste disposal. Torrens said the county has been getting a lot of e-waste and condensed light bulbs. Torrens said he is working on an agreement with a company out of Wichita that will haul off e-waste for free. The county will still have to pay for disposal of the light bulbs.
• Richard Old, Lyon County undersheriff, discussed the purchase of a used SUV for up to $18,000 for a detective and discussed the chairman signing an animal control agreement between the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Allen.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
We can hope some dumb drug runner gets busted soon in a SUV so the county can get it for free. :) That's how the Sheriff got his nice Nissan SUV.
We have a CFL bulb to go to the hazardous waste. We wondered if it cost to dispose of them. They contain mercury is my understanding. It did last a long time but now we can't just throw it away. A double-edged sword.
Gee, could it be that more minority kids get in trouble since more of them are a) below the poverty line and/or b) some cultures are more lenient than others about breaking rules/laws. White kids get in trouble too so I don't know what the big deal is. I think the government sometimes creates problems where none exist.
BNSF should be made to fix its crossings. It would be in their best interest not to mow over some poor farmer and his combine etc. Maybe it could be pointed out that those two crossings are a lawsuit waiting to happen if someone should be hurt or some high dollar piece of farm equipment is destroyed.
October 23, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tillie (anonymous) says...
The detective could HAVE my minivan!!! :) hehehehe
October 23, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Russ (anonymous) says...
madpoet
There is no charge at this time for households to dispose of CFL's or other Hazardous Waste's at the County Hazardous Waste Dept.
Used Oil, Antifreeze,Pesticides,Paints,Thinners, Batteries and other household waste may also be dropped off at no charge.
October 23, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
I didn't think it cost us to drop the bulb off, but I wondered what if anything it cost the county. It's not worth the drive out there for one bulb.
October 23, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dml (anonymous) says...
A 6% grade going up to the tracks is all that is allowed by the Statutes? The grades at those crossings are more like 30-45% and it is easy to spin out on the loose gravel if you are pulling anything. The county needs to measure the grade on both sides of the tracks at these crossings and send the results along with a copy of the Statutes to BNSF!
October 23, 2008 at 10:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zeus (anonymous) says...
Wait a minute didn't the county just buy an SUV for a detective and what about that high priced CSI lab on wheels?
What's next from the Undersheriff, more SUVs' for personal use, oh wait.
October 23, 2008 at 11:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
zeus,
The SUV was confiscated in a drub bust, and the CSI lab thing was purchased with money confiscated from drug raids.
October 24, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zeus (anonymous) says...
Actually Mr. second hand smoke advocate (Josie), the SUV you are talking about is driven by the Sheriff himself and the SUV I am talking about is a new one purchased by the taxpayers for a detective.
Additionally the CSI funmobile was not entirely purchased from drug funds but thanks for your attempted input. But speaking of the drug funds that were used to buy the dust collecting CSI van maybe the money could have been used for patrol SUVs'.
October 26, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )