Residents voices concerns with Treasurer’s Office
In other business, the Barton County Commission:
• Heard a complaint from Vince Deason, Great Bend, who had asked to speak with the commission in regards to problems he’s had with the Barton County Treasurer’s Office. Deason said he’s waited over four months to get a vehicle title, and said he’s gone into the office and seen clerks using their computers and cell phones for personal matters. He also said he’s called and gotten no answers.
“There’s something that needs to be taken care of, I think,” he said.
“We do have issues getting titles approved,” said County Treasurer Kevin Wondra. “We are behind.”
But, Wondra said, Barton County is not alone. Recent software updates at the state level continue to plague county officials.
As for office workers taking care of personal business on company time, “we try to keep that at a minimum,” Wondra said. But, it does happen.
In Deason’s case, there was an old address on some of the mailings and this may have caused some delays, Wondra said.
However, Deason maintained he had changed his address when he moved and has had no problems with this anywhere else.
Wondra said his staff submits title applications to the state but doesn’t have time to call and follow up on all of them. They do check-ups on a case-by-case basis and said he would work with Deason.
• Adopted a resolution declaring a stretch of NE 210 Road about six miles northeast of Susank minimum maintenance. The segment is a portion of NE 210 Road from NE 20 Avenue located in Union Township and runs west 1,700 feet.
The action allows the matter to be forwarded to the county Planning and Zoning Commission will make a recommendation to the commission at a later date.
Last week, the commission decided not to change a one-mile stretch of the same road between NE 30 and NE 40 avenues to minimum maintenance. The move was petitioned for by Union Township officials since the road is only used occasionally.
This would mean the road would be signed “travel at your own risk,” thus reducing the township’s liability. As required by state statute, the matter was forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission. However, the planning commission reviewed the request and recommended that the declaration not be made.
In June, a county bridge south of Cheyenne Bottoms was damaged when a motorist left the roadway and plowed into it. Monday morning, the Barton County Commission approved having the bridge repaired and suing the driver to recoup the cost of the project.
County Engineer Clark Rusco said the accident, in which Sam Selee of Cimarron hit the south side of the bridge with his 2006 Ford pickup, damaging wall, deck and guard rail. Rusco contacted L&M Contractors who bid $9,595 for the project.
The commission approved the bid.
“We feel the damage was due to the negligence of the driver,” County Administrator Richard Boeckman said. Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller made a claim against Selee, but these efforts have not been successful.
So, Boeckman said, the county’s next recourse is to sue Selee. The commission then approved hiring attorney Allen Glendenning of Watkins, Calcara Cht. to represent the county in the case.
If successful, Glendenning will recover the cost of the work and attorney fees. The county will only have to pay for his out-of-pocket expenses.
At the time of the accident, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported that Selee, 30, was traveling northeast on K-156 at 9:04 a.m. and suffered an unknown medical issue. He left the highway and traveled for a mile through a stubble field, struck the bridge at NE 40 Road, crossed over the roadway and came to rest on the north side of the road.
