The majority of the weekly Greenwood County Commission meeting on Monday, March 17, consisted of a discussion regarding various road concerns.
To begin the discussion, the commission again heard from Bruce Smith, regarding “Baker Road” in Pleasant Grove Township. Smith noted he had spoken with property owner Corey Baker and noted that Baker would like to move forward with the purchase of new cattle guards and install a gate for the Amish to utilize when traveling that roadway. Commissioners noted that this was a township road and would be at their discretion; however, it was clarified that if Baker was in favor of purchasing the cattle guards and maintaining them, the road and cattle guards would be owned by the township. County Counselor Paul Dean noted that an agreement should be made in writing to protect the entities involved. Dean planned to work with Smith following the meeting to draft an agreement.
More than 30 resolutions were approved, moving the maintaining responsibilities of various township/county roads to the county/townships within the county, as well as resolutions approving the installation of stop/yield signs at various county/township road intersections throughout the county. Details from the approved resolutions will be included in next week’s edition.
During the Road and Bridge report, Supervisor Allen Greenwood noted that the final walk-through at the “Short’s Bridge,” located at 255th Street and U Road, would be held later this week, with the plan for the bridge to be completely open later
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this week. An update was also provided regarding the Twin Grove Township road discussed last week (40th Street). It was shared that the culvert didn’t meet the specifications to be county responsibility. Greenwood County crews were completing work at the culvert on Monday morning. Commissioners also shared concerns on other bridges that needed attention with Greenwood.
Larry and Jan Stuber shared their concerns with the commission regarding removing Y intersections within the county, mainly the intersection of Q Road and 90th Street. J. Stuber suggested the commissioners reach out to constituents regarding the removal of the Y intersections. Commissioner Roy Ballard stated that he had conversations with residents within his district who noted they weren’t in favor of moving forward with the project, as suggested by LTAP. Commissioner Preston Evenson reiterated that the commission had previously told the Stubers that this specific intersection would be handled by adding signage. “We do have a lot of them (Y intersections) in our county. I know that everyone is thinking safety,” stated Evenson. “I would still like to give time to review it,” he continued. Commissioner Mac Obourn noted that the commissioners should speak with Greenwood, Vinson and/ or Dean individually to learn more details and get their ideas together.
Joy Howell also spoke regarding the intersection of Q Road and 90th Street, ultimately noting that signage was needed at the intersection, as it was a “dangerous intersection.”
Discussion was also held regarding chip/seal maintenance to BB Road. Sheri Schaffer asked the commission for an update on the project as she has been inquiring for approximately eight months. It was noted that the commission is currently waiting for a response from the Corps of Engineers as this is a shared roadway.
Resolution 2025-35 regarding the Platt of Sauder-Barnard Division for property on the west side of Highway 99 in Madison (across from Dollar General) was approved as presented. The resolution notes that the township will be in charge of maintaining the roadway.
Former Greenwood County Health Director Vicky Lindsey noted that she would be retiring next month, with her last day being April 23.
Greenwood County EMS Director Brian Mongeau gave a brief overview of the county’s response last Friday, pertaining to the catastrophic weather conditions. Mongeau noted that several county fire units spent time preparing for the day, which proved to be successful. It was noted that within the county there were five grass fires and two structure fires last Friday; however, no injuries were reported. Mongeau also noted that EMS crews assisted neighboring counties, including Woodson and Wilson counties. The commission was grateful to all first responders, including those volunteer fire personnel for doing an outstanding job for Greenwood County. Maintenance Supervisor Greg Rawlings shared quotes to replace the roughly 20 square foot of flooring that was removed during the sewer project. The two bids ranged from $6,650 to $8,050, and didn’t include the concrete work required or labor to lay the tile. The commission was not in favor of moving forward with either quote and asked Rawlings to look into other options and share an update in a few a weeks.
The annual Noxious Weed management plan was approved as presented.
Jamie Lindamood, representing the Greenwood County Community Center (GC3), provided an update regarding the Eureka Downs facility. She noted that the new roof was being installed this week and that carpentry projects are continuing to move forward with students from the high school. She also noted that the group had identified an insulation solution for the east side of the building. Lindamood noted that the GC3 had six items to present to the fair board at their next meeting for approval.
The commission held three executive sessions, where no action was taken following any of the sessions. The first session was held for personnel matters (no justification), with Greenwood County Health Nurse Jayme Lewis and Health Department staff Vicki Lindsey and Madison Morris. The second session was held with Greenwood County Emergency Management Director Vison, Road and Bridge Supervisor Greenwood and County Counselor Dean for legal matters regarding contractual negotiations with the Corp of Engineers. The final executive session was for legal matters, pertaining to roads, with Counselor Dean and Emergency Preparedness Management Director Vinson for five minutes.
The commission received a letter from CCCK of Kansas referencing the closed bridge below the Fall River Dam. The letter was also addressed to the Corps of Engineers of Tulsa, Okla. The letter noted that the commission would be in violation of a 1966 national law if they removed the bridge and would be subject to a trial.
The presentation of claims, including special payables, totaling $3,785.79; payables for March 21, totaling $291,359.58; and the payroll for March 21, totaling $160,022.57 were approved.
The March 10, meeting minutes were approved as presented. The treasurer’s report was reviewed.
The next Greenwood County Commission meeting will be held on Monday, March 24, at 9 a.m.
