Summer asphalt work is now underway, Barton County Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips told to the County Commission Monday morning. On Monday, May 4, work began at U.S. 56 going north on Dartmouth Road (NE 60 Avenue).
Phillips’ report was part of County Administrator Richard Boeckman’s biweekly departmental update. Other highlights included:
Road and Bridge
• Bridge work was started on NE 30 Road just east of 156 Highway.
• Emergency bridge repair was completed on NW 90 Avenue north of Olmitz.
• Sign crews replaced or repaired stop and 911 locator signs as needed.
• Advertising for one full-time employee was started. Two temporary employee positions were filled, completing the hires for summer employment.
Noxious Weed
• Spraying continues for noxious weeds along township right of way, County roadsides and pastures as directed.
• Generally the past two weeks work included routine matters for a busy spraying season.
911 Director Doug Hubbard
April 2015 statistics
911 landlines, 321
911 wireless, 1,037
Administrative lines, 10,194
Total calls, 11,552
Radio calls, 118,600
Calls for service, 3,250
Solid Waste Director Phil Hathcock
• 1,910.4 tons of municipal solid waste
• 513.03 tons of construction/demolition waste
• 42.65 tons of special waste
• 1163 loads of waste received for disposal
• $93,126.02 of revenue generated through disposal fees
During the reporting period:
• 276 pounds of household hazardous waste (HHW) was collected from 31 participants
• 220 pounds of litter was picked up from NE 30 Road by Great Bend High School students during Community Service Day
Hathcock also noted that due to the recent much needed rains, the Landfill is extremely muddy.
Barton County Landfill has items for reuse from the recent household hazardous waste collections and the items are available for free. For more information, call the landfill at 620-793-1898.
Environmental Manager Judy Goreham
The next regular meeting of the Barton County Planning Commission is scheduled for 3 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, at the Barton County Courthouse, first floor conference room. The public is invited to attend.
Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller
Emergency planning is not just preparing for hazards may affect the county and the immediate response to a specific hazard, but emergency planning also includes planning for the recovery phase that occurs after the initial response, Miller said. That recovery phase was the basis of a recent tabletop exercise for Barton County Emergency Management.
Miller said the Recovery Phase is just as important as the Response Phase to a disaster. While the response phase may be hours to several days, the recovery phase of a disaster will often last months to years.
Developing partnerships with volunteer organizations active in disaster, such as the American Red Cross, United Way of the Plains, Second Harvest Community Food Bank, and numerous church-affiliated response groups, is an important aspect of recovery planning.
Volunteer agencies provide many services and resources to residents affected by a disaster. After a disaster, a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) may be established to provide a “one stop shop” where both public and private organizations are able to meet with residents, Miller said. In a MARC, many organizations can offer assistance and the client only needs to go to the one site to access a variety of services.
A recent tabletop exercise provided an opportunity for participants to review their local emergency plans for partners to include in the establishment of a MARC during the disaster recovery phase.
